On April 29 the Blindman Valley Lions Club attended the Spring Market at the Peter Lougheed Community Centre to sell their handmade barn quilts to raise money for PasKaPoo Park.
PasKaPoo lost their farmers’ market during COVID-19 and their summer student granting was cut back, so they thought they would help them out. They are also in desperate need of volunteers.
Cheryl Jones, administrator with the museum said they are definitely in need of volunteers at PasKaPoo, as it’s just her there on the nine acres with 18 buildings.
“It’s really reliant on volunteers,” said Jones.
As a non-profit, Jones said PasKaPoo does have its struggles.
“Summer student granting this year was cut back dramatically.We didn’t get even an eighth of what we applied for, so our student grant funding is really limited this year,” she said.
Jones also said that there are lots of volunteer opportunities on the grounds depending on what people are looking to do.
Trudy Rangen, marketing communications director with Blindman, wanted to help out PasKaPoo, bringing in more people to see what they have to offer and raising money for them.
People can purchase the barn quilts, which are painted quilt squares, in the truck museum for $40 or $50 depending on the size.
“It’s nice to throw a little colour out there particularly when we’ve got such long winter seasons here,” she said.
Rangen also happens to run the Central Alberta Barn Quilts and hopes to start a barn quilt trail like there are in the United States, Ontario and Armstrong, B.C.
“This has since grown into such an incredible new art form that in the United States alone there’s probably over 40 barn quilt trails throughout the States.”
She said they are trying to get one started in central Alberta through the Central Alberta Barn Quilt group.
“It’s a great way to bring tourism.”
On top of the quilts, Rangen said volunteering for places, including PasKaPoo, which is in need of volunteers, is so important.
Volunteering can even help students earn a scholarship. They also have to put in 125 hours of paid or volunteer work to achieve their high school diploma.