Successful Fundraiser for Wheatland Plus 50

By Adrienne Mason
agemason@gmail.com

Many non-profit organizations are struggling to stay afloat during the current pandemic. Since most clubs have had to close their doors to the public or minimize the capacity numbers to less than half, keeping up with their regular monthly payments has been difficult. There is no government funding available for existing operating expenses. Clubs can apply for grants to expand or build onto their existing capital structure, yet there are no options for help with the daily needs such as utilities, power, and property taxes.

Lorne A. Johnson, the President of the Wheatland Plus 50 Club in Eston, recently wrote a Letter to the Editor to the West Central Voice, as well as posted a few various advertisements around Eston, to plead for help from the community for donations to help cover the basic costs of their building. A primary revenue for the Plus 50 Club is renting their facility. Since most events have been canceled or postponed indefinitely, revenue has been reduced to almost nothing in the past year. Their goal was to raise around $7,000 for their immediate needs and carry them to when the revenues could start flowing again.

During an interview last week, Johnson was happy to report that the Plus 50 Club’s fundraising efforts paid off, and they exceeded their goal by raising just over $8,000. He thanked The Voice for publishing the Letter to the Editor and said that, “There was a tremendous response from the community. That will pay our bigger bills and keep us in the black for a while.”

The club will be starting bingo night again which has been a good bi-weekly fundraiser for the them in the past. They will be following COVID-19 safety regulations and will not be able to exceed 30 people in their building.

Another fundraiser is in the works that many ‘Estonites’ should enjoy. Watch out for the “Sink the Pandemic” fundraiser coming soon to a pond near you!