The Rotary Carol festival has been cancelled for this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on large gatherings (Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

Christmas Cheer

Melfort Rotary Club hosting Christmas cheer raffle to replace funds from annual carol festival

Dec 2, 2020 | 11:17 AM

The Rotary Club of Melfort is hoping to replace funds from the annual carol festival through a Christmas Cheer raffle.

The carol festival brings in an average $7,000 each year for the Salvation Army Christmas hamper campaign.

Rotarian Gail Marie Anderson told northeastNOW there are 1,000 tickets to be sold at $10 each.

“One draw is for a snowman filled with Christmas cheer, the other is a sleigh filled with Christmas cheer,” Anderson said.

Both of the prizes in the snowman and sleigh giveaway are valued at $500. Tickets can be purchased through any Rotarian or on Facebook and the draw will be made by members of the Rotary Club on Dec. 17 at the Legion.

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The community carol festival normally consists of two shows in December at the United Church to accommodate attendees and performances. With public health restrictions on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that can’t happen this year.

Just as other groups, things have looked a bit different for the Rotary Club this year. Most meetings have been held on Zoom and are every third Thursday of the month.

“We will be able to have a business meeting/social at the legion where we are able to have members there and physically distanced,” Anderson said. “We need to still engage people and everyone is missing that fellowship.”

Aside from raising funds, another reason for hosting the Christmas raffle is to engage the community and remind them that Rotary is still here to help and give back to the community.

In January, Rotary will be looking to the public for feedback on what the community needs.

“We don’t want to assume what everyone needs, we want to ask the community what they feel the immediate needs are,” Anderson said.

Another fundraiser is in the works for the new year with the help of the Melfort Fire Department.

A man-made apparatus will be sunk on the Windsor slough and guesses can be made by the public on what date and time they think it will go under.

“It is called a fire and ice project and will be treated like a 50/50, the winner will get hold and the other 50% will be split between the fire department and the Rotary Club,” Anderson said.

Anderson is the Rotary District Governor for 2020 that stretches from Saskatoon to Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

“Traditionally, the District Governor has the District conference in their home,” Anderson said. “We made the sad choice that because the conference is to be held in Melfort in May of 2021, we will be doing it virtually.”

The Rotary Club was still able to have their farm project with proceeds going to the community and the Canadian Food Grains Bank. A Halloween pumpkin carving project with the grade 10 students in Melfort went ahead to engage students with Rotary as well.

Furthermore, no exchange students were able to come to Melfort this year as a result of the pandemic.

“We are just trying to keep in touch with each other and have a goal of continuing to support the causes that we normally support,” Anderson said.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On TWitter: @Angie_Rolheiser