Plans are underway for the 14th Annual Valentine's Gala Evening at the Royal Canadian Legion.
The event, organized by the Ladies Auxiliary, will be held Feb. 15, and promises to be ìbigger and better,î said Penny Seabrook, gala chairperson.
Seabrook said the event is the organization's largest fundraiser of the year, with all money raised going to the Military Family Resource Centre Edmonton Garrison (MFRC), a non-profit agency that fosters individual, family and community well-being for military families.
ìThe families face a variety of unique challenges, including maintaining the home front while the troops are away for extended periods of military duty,î said Seabrook, a branch member and first vice-president for 2014 who has chaired the gala evening for the last six years. ìMany of these families are distanced by hundreds and thousands of kilometres from the support of their immediate families.
ìWe were giving our money to polio originally when this first started. When we ended up with troops in Afghanistan we decided it was important that we do something for our troops,î she added. ìThe closet thing we could do was to give to the Military Family Resource Centre for the families that are left behind, because lots of these people are far, far away from home, from their families. The family resource centre helps them with babysitting, getting back and forth for groceries.î
Over the years the community has been increasingly supporting the event, as well as the annual Mother's Day Brunch and an escalating amount of money from the two fundraisers has been donated to the MFRC. In 2011, organizers sent $4,055.64 to the MFRC, while in 2012 another $5,646.06 was raised and in 2013 the Edmonton-based agency received $6,492.47. This year the MFRC will receive all monies raised by the Ladies Auxiliary in 2013.
ìNow that our troops are home again we will probably start looking for something else and I already have another place in mind for going forward, which is Valour Place,î said Seabrook.
Valour Place in Edmonton is the first of its kind in Canada, a new $10- million facility with 12 barrier-free bedrooms that is designed to be a temporary home away from home for all Canadian Forces members, families of the fallen, veterans and RCMP along with their families who require medical treatment in Edmonton.
ìWe have to keep up with the times, right? With PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) coming up so much in the forefront now, you have to focus on what is important today in our military,î said Seabrook. ìThis is our biggest fundraiser and it doesn't mean that we can't continue in a different focus being as we are the legion and it should be looking back at our soldiers.î
The Feb. 15 event will start with a dinner that will be served by Penhold air cadets. It will be followed by a live band. Throughout the evening draws will be made for numerous door prizes and raffles.
Seabrook said the gala event has always been well attended with at least 160 tickets being sold. She said tickets this year will be sold for $30 each.
For more information on the 14th Annual Valentine's Gala Evening contact Seabrook at 403-227-4191 or at the legion at 403-227-3622 or branch member Iva Wills at 403-227-4094.
