Game On! Gala 2009 On April 25 the SLS Recreation Park Society played host to its first Game On! Gala, and the evening turned out to be a huge success. With over 300 attendees, everyone had a chance to socialize and enjoy themselves, even if they missed out on the top prize for gambling or the best auction items. The event managed to raise $64, 000 for the Centre’s ongoing Phase 3 Expansion , as well as close to $1000 in donations for Team Taro. The evening’s success is all due to the involvement of the community, whose members donated money, auction items and precious time and effort. Our sponsors deserve special recognition, especially the Platinum donors: Mainstreet Pharmacy, J Vair Anderson Jewellers, ProH2O, Foundation Capital, Scott Builders and CottageClub Ghost Lake were all extremely generous both in sponsorships and in auction item donations. On the other side, the organizing committee and Centre staff ensured that the night went off without a hitch. Ken Williams, Donna Dougan and the rest of the Centre staff worked hard to iron out the operational details. The Gala committee, led by Christina Singeris, successfully and creatively organized the evening and pulled together donors and sponsors from throughout the community. With help from the Lifestyle Fitness Centre, Alysson and Duncan Cathcart, and Jenns Lipper, they even managed to show the evening’s hockey game on a big screen, with Scott Builders assisting with the final set-up. The evening’s activities included funny-money gambling, which proved to be one of the major attractions of the night. The luckiest players included Niki Paisley as the top money winner, who raked in over $9 million and won a gift card for Ducks on the Roof. Kim Stonehouse came in second with over $7 Million, and took home the prize of a 1 hour massage courtesy of Cochrane Sports Physiotherapy and Massage. Carrie and Mike Kallal were third place winners with $5.1 Million, and scored a framed photograph by Sandy Forbes. Thanks to professional auctioneer John Copithorne, the live auction was the most exciting event of the night. Thirteen live auction items were auctioned off in fierce competition. Some of the items included a James Bond Omega Seamaster Watch from J Vair Anderson, a night at the 2009 Stampede Rangeland Derby and Barn Tour donated by local professional Chuckwagon team Grant and Shelley Profit, and a rare ride in the HAWC Helicopter from the Calgary Police Services. Among the most successful bidders were Kim and Jon Wunder, who drove away with a James Bond Getaway Weekend including a weekend rental of an Aston Martin and a night’s stay and gourmet breakfast at the 5 Star Rimrock Hotel in Banff. The other most sought-after item was the Chef’s intimate Dinner for Eight that was donated by the Delta Kananaskis Hotel. The total bids on the live auction alone came to just under $25, 000. Besides the auction and gambling, the raffle for a pair of stunning diamond and gold earrings from J Vair Anderson Jewellers and the putting contest to win a car both contributed to the excitement of the evening. Phil Buote walked away with the earrings and John Clarkson won the car, and then generously donated its fair market value back to the Centre. The wonderful services for evening were provided by several professional companies in the area. Delicious gourmet food came from Sunterra Market, and Fourth Ave Liquor, Vinestone, Coca-Cola and ProH2O provided the beverages. Visual Concepts & Design helped create the beautiful venue. The evening went a long way towards helping the Phase 3 Expansion of the Centre, and everyone involved helped to make the evening such a huge success. It provided a perfect opportunity to increase awareness about the Phase 3 Expansion and the SLSRPS. The attendees were able to learn about the Society’s efforts as a non-profit organization and their mission of providing valuable recreation services to the community.
	Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada