OLDS — The Rotary Club of Olds gave out a total of $12,000 to 10 local organizations and three school groups during its inaugural Dragon’s Den, held Nov. 16 at the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Hall.
Over about two-and-a half hours, in similar fashion to the TV show of the same name, the dragons (a group of judges from the Rotary Club) listened to and evaluated pitches from groups who were looking for money for various projects and goals.
Virtually every chair in the place was filled with members of the groups pitching as well as friends and family.
Each group or organization had five minutes to make their pitch and the dragons got five minutes to ask questions about each pitch.
Randy Smith, president of the Rotary Club of Olds, served as the MC.
Interact (junior Rotary Club) members ran paper back and forth to the judging office.
The groups receiving money were:
• The Hope 4 MVC Kids Society, which helps families in Mountain View County cope with medical and related expenses for children needing medical care, $1,500.
• The Olds Christmas Angels Society, which raises money to buy Christmas gifts for kids, $1,500.
• The Reed Ranch School Parent advisory council to replace an aging piece of playground equipment, $1,500.
• The Community Lending Shelf, which provides free clothes for residents who need them, $500 to help obtain theft-proof bins.
• Organizers of Olds Fashioned Christmas, an upcoming annual celebration of Christmas held in Uptowne Olds, $1,500.
• The Olds Fire Department’s cadet Program, $1,500.
• The Nina Project, which works to work with kids in danger of harming themselves, $1,000.
• The Wild Rose Humane Society, $1,500.
• The Mountain View Nordic Ski Club, $1,500 to replace aging equipment.
• The Bethany Care Foundation Didsbury, $1,500 to help cover costs for a walkway and gazebo to serve as a meeting place for seniors, friends and family as well as other members of the community.
Youth Organizations
• École Olds High School, $750 to help stage its Diversity Day, held to celebrate and promote the diversity of the school’s and community's population.
• Another $750 to support the provision of Be Kind T-shirts in École Olds High School.
• $500 to the École Deer Meadow School Interact (junior Rotary) Club, which is planning to fill 100 Christmas stockings for seniors to ensure they have a good Christmas.
“You know what? It’s partnership. It’s all about you guys. This is why we do what we do so you can do what you do,” Smith said as the evening ended.
During an interview after it was over, Smith said he was pleased with how it went, and was looking forward to the club holding a Dragon’s Den annually.
“We had a great turnout from the community to support the groups that were presenting, and the pitches were really good, really well done, so it makes our job divvying out funds hard,” he said.
Smith saw the night as also a great way for members of the organization to network with each other. He noted that many did so during breaks and at the end of the evening.
Smith was asked how the idea to hold a Dragon’s Den came about. He couldn’t say for sure but noted that many Rotary clubs – including one he used to belong to in Airdrie – do so.
Smith said members of the club will sit down in the future to decide if any changes need to be made to the event.
One can already foresee is maybe not receiving pitches from so many groups, noting it took roughly two-and-a-half hours to hear all the pitches and for the judges to make decisions on them.
“That’s a bit of a marathon run, so we’ll likely do the kids a little bit differently and stick with the 10. Ten to 12 is manageable," he said. “When you get to 13, it gets a little bit harder.”
