From the Rotary Club of the Battlefords, Claudette McGuire (president), left, and Jason Russell, right, make a presentation to David Gubbe of the Battlefords Humane Society, centre. (Submitted photo/Rotary Club of the Battlefords)
Donation for new shelter build

Rotary steps up with $50,000 donation to Battlefords Humane Society

May 1, 2024 | 4:35 PM

The Rotary Club of the Battlefords has stepped up in a big way to show its support to the Battlefords Humane Society’s project to build a new animal shelter facility.

The Rotary Club is fulfilling its total commitment to give $50,000 to the Humane Society for the project. The first $25,000 was donated about three years ago, with the remaining $25,000 coming through now.

“We have the funds available as a result of the many fundraisers in the community, like the Spudnut Booth, the hockey draft,…” said Jason Russell, a past president of Rotary. “There’s lots of [initiatives] that we do to raise money. It’s just some of the funds that we put back into the community.”

Russell noted that Terry Blanchette, who was with Rotary, originally spearheaded this project to help the Humane Society. Blanchette has since passed away, so other Rotary members have been carrying on with the effort since then.

Russell is pleased to see Rotary fulfilling its commitment.

“[The Humane Society] is just one of the non-profits in the community that needs help every now and then,” he said. “They struggle with fundraisers as well, so any time we can help, it helps them and it helps us as well.”

David Gubbe, board president of the Battlefords Humane Society, said the donation is a great help to the project.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “Rotary has provided us with tremendous support over the last few years. This was the second instalment of a two-part donation. We’re really appreciative of everything they’ve done for us.”

The build project is currently underway, with the initiative expected to be completed early in 2025.

Some foundation work is being done now for the new shelter, which is located just to the south of the existing kennel facility.

“Construction will progress throughout most of this year,” Gubbe said.

The Humane Society is still fundraising for the build project, with a goal to bring in about $300,000 or $400,000 more in donations from the community.

“We’re hoping to have a launch for that major fundraising [push] for the last part of the necessary funds in the near future, this spring,” Gubbe said.

The project has been in the works for about 10 years or more, so the Humane Society is excited to see it getting closer to completion.

angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @battlefordsNOW

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