INNISFAIL -- Seniors love dancing and they will soon have more room for extra twirls on the floor of the Lundgren Centre.
It has been quite a past year for Innisfail's finest citizens. Last September, the Innisfail Senior Drop-In Society officially changed the name of the drop-in centre to the Lundgren Centre, a move to honour cherished local couple Oscar and Mabel Lundgren.
And now more than eight months later the society is undergoing its biggest and most important renovation project.
"Depending on the funding we will have it done by the end of the summer," said Jean Bennett, a member of the society's renovation committee. "Yes, it is very large. We've been on it for a number of years."
Work began a month ago to build a new state-of-the-art 265-square-foot kitchen in the back of the centre that will replace its tiny antiquated facility at the rear of the activity area. The new look in the back of the centre will also include expanded office space and a storage room. Moving the new kitchen to the back of the centre will give the activity area an extra 252 square feet of space, and of course more room for dancing.
The total projected cost of the project is close to $150,000. With the society saving $78,309 for the project, members have raised another $20,000.
Bennett said it's hoped more funds will come from the community in the next few weeks.
"We have many people who have verbally said yes. We just haven't had a chance to go back to them," said Bennett. "We hope it (new floor) is the best for dancing. That is why we are going to test it out in Blackfalds."
In the meantime, members of the renovation committee have also been going to Innisfail and Red Deer County councils to see if there is any room in their budgets to provide some help.
The committee was at Innisfail council on May 27 to pitch a request for $10,000, monies they said would "enhance the already substantial support" the society already receives from the town in the form of utilities and building upkeep.
The committee members also discussed with council their need to find another $35,000 to pay for a new floor for the Lundgren Centre, one that would provide optimum conditions for fine dancing.
"It is very good in that you can play all your games on it and it requires very little upkeep," said Bennett of the new floor chosen for the centre. "It is like a vinyl flooring but it is like a rolled flooring but there are no seams. It is not like tile. It is all one piece."
After considerable discussion between council members and committee members it was decided to approve the $10,000 request. Council then directed Michelle Honeyman, the town's director of community services and Heather Whymark, director of corporate serves, to find a way of making $35,000 available for the society to get the floor done.
"Heather and I just have to meet with them (society). We just need to see where they are at with their fundraising for the floor, and we will talk to the county to see if they are willing to contribute anything," said Honeyman. "We will then get back to council to see how we can make it happen."
Honeyman said one option is to loan the society the money while they continue to fundraise.
"The community has been really great in responding to them, and this is one way (loan) to help them so the project is not delayed," said Honeyman, adding a report will be brought back to council later this month on the different options to help the society.
And on that optimistic note, Innisfail seniors could soon be ready to dance in style.
