Staff
Be it raising funds to furnish the new hospital or rallying together in pursuit of the title Pinkest Town in the West, residents of Rimbey and area have a knack of stepping up to the plate when the call goes out and true to form, the Rimbey Lions Club has stepped forward to launch a campaign to raise funds to offset the cost of a new swimming pool scheduled to be completed by this time next year.
But they want to make it crystal clear that the campaign to raise $1 million is not a Lions project, but instead will be a community project.
“I think it’s a very large project, but I think if you look around the community, you’ll see what the Lions do and this is something that we want to help with and maybe get the ball rolling,” said Lions president Michelle Oberhammer. “It’s not a Lions project, it’s a community project and we can’t do it without the community. Our goal is to raise $1 million, out timeframe is roughly one year and this is something the community needs and it’s certainly something that, if we all work together, we can certainly do.”
With funding in the amount of $1.25 million through federal government and county grants already secured, the amount still falls well short of the estimated price tag of $2.25 million, and that’s where the Lions have stepped in.
“We were asked by town council if we would spearhead it because, of course, council can’t fundraise like that. So we were asked if we would consider taking on the project, and that’s what we’re doing,” said Lion and chair of the fundraising committee Steffen Olsen. “I want to make sure that the public knows that this is a community effort and that it’s not a Lions project as such. We’re just pulling all the strings together from all the groups, organizations and individuals.”
In addition to their regular fundraising activities, the Lions have already bantered around one idea that involves holding a raffle for some pretty substantial prizes.
“We’ve got to think outside the box because this is a big thing,” Olsen said. “We’ve already looked into raffling off a condominium and a cabin worth about $300,000, so we’re hoping we can raise double that amount through the sale of raffle tickets.”
By spearheading and organizing the effort, the Lions feel the fundraising will be more effective with each contributing group or organization focusing on a particular aspect or area to ensure the business community as an example, isn’t repeatedly solicited.
And while Olsen said he has already received nothing but positive feedback from the groups he’s already approached, he was quick to add that those expecting to see a roof on the new pool could be waiting a very long time.
“The foundation is being put in for a roof, but I don’t know if people fully understand that the annual maintenance costs of an indoor pool is very high and a is very prohibitive,” he said, adding it is unrealistic to expect the taxpayers of Rimbey to foot the bill for the pool’s crippling operating costs. “It’s not the actual building because we can raise $1 million and put a roof over the pool, but every indoor pool runs a deficit between $250,000 and $550,000 every year, and that’s where the problem is.”
Nevertheless, the Lions, along with what they hope will ultimately involve the entire community; will forge ahead on the project with all hands on deck.
“I would say we have 100 per cent support from every member of the club,” Oberhammer said. “We had lots to talk about and of course, there are pros and cons to everything, but it was all very positive. “We all work together as a team and that’s how we get things done.”