OLDS — The 10th Interact Banquet, held March 22, raised $7,600 for the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society (MVESS).
Initially, the banquet roughly $5,600, about $1,000 more than the last one, held in 2019.
However, on March 24, the Rotary Club of Olds gave organizers another $2,000, bringing the total raised for the MVESS to $7,600.
The event is organized and hosted by the École Olds High School leadership students via the Interact Club, a kind of junior Rotary Club, and held in the school’s commons area.
“The Rotary club are supporting us in terms of matching donations up to $2,000 so this will be an excellent donation to such a worthy cause,” Interact Club staff advisor Tane Skotheim wrote in an email.
Each year, the club chooses a cause to support. This year, it chose to support the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society, which provides outreach services for individuals and families who may be in an abusive relationship, are seeking information regarding domestic violence issues and/or are looking for a healthier lifestyle.
It’s also fundraising for a shelter it plans to construct to house adults and children escaping domestic violence.
Skotheim said the banquet attracted more than 160 people, about on par with previous years.
She said the capacity of the commons area is about 175 people. Organizers plan for around 170 guests each year.
“We are always within 20 seats either higher or lower than this goal," she wrote.
In addition to a roast beef supper, the banquet featured a dessert auction and a raffle table. Skotheim said more than 30 desserts were donated desserts were auctioned off. A total of 46 raffle donations were also made.
Seven students provided musical entertainment. Many others volunteered in various ways, including clearing tables. Several staff members also assisted.
During speeches to the crowd, Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society director Carol Johnston and society outreach services coordinator Emilie Webb explained how the organization works.
They also announced that for the moment at least, plans to build the shelter are on hold for another year because the society wants to make sure it has enough money in the bank to cover the estimated $400,000 cost plus a year or so of operating costs.
Webb said Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society and partner organizations are concerned with a perceived rise in the potential for violence in domestic situations.
She noted that, as reported previously, the society has seen a constant increase in clients over the past several years. That figure rose from 69 clients in 2019 to 197 in 2021.
Webb said over time, the society has grown to include more staff and volunteers and now has offices in Carstairs, Cremona, Didsbury and Sundre.
“It was the first 'live' event our club has been able to host since October of 2019 so we were very excited to be able to have such a successful evening for a cause we really believe in,” Skotheim wrote.
“Businesses and guests were very supportive — and generous. I think everyone was very glad to be able to gather and it is a cause everyone in the county will benefit from. We are fortunate to be part of such a generous community.”
Johnston echoed that thought.
