Rotary Club of Raymond 57th Annual Dinner-Dance

Posted on January 18, 2024 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Rotary Club of Raymond is holding their 57th Annual Dinner and Dance on February 10 at the Raymond Cultural Hall, located at 2N 200W, with the event beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“Over the past half century the dinner-dance has been the major fundraiser for our service club to fulfill its mandate of “Service Above Self,” said Val Boehme, Publicity Chair for the Rotary Club of Raymond.

Boehme says that tickets for the event can be purchased for $45 or a table of eight for $360 or 10 for $450. The event, Boehme says, will involve a roast beef dinner, salad, dessert bars and a great program displaying Raymond’s cultural side, a program that will involve entertainment provided by the ‘Tom Price Band.’ Boehme says that Rotarians, their spouses and friends from the community prepare the meal serving 250 to 300 patrons, and the Raymond High School Singers – a group of 40 singers led by Sydney Ralph, will assist in serving the meal this year.

“This is the Rotary Club’s major fundraising event,” said Boehme. “The Rotary Club of Raymond is one of 30,000 clubs in the Rotary International Organization. Funds raised in this event have supported numerous local, regional and international projects over the years, including walking/biking paths, the flag pole at the community center, various projects of the Raymond Public Library including the Rotary Reading Room; furnishings for the new Ridge View Lodge, the original town swimming pool, the Picnic Pavilion at the new swimming pool, building and refurbishing the Raymond High School track and field bleachers, the Annual Rotary Canada Day Parade and the annual Rotary Carol Festival, the Raymond Handibus, the Lethbridge Interfaith and Standoff Food banks, sponsoring of the Interact Club a middle school service club on the Blood Reserve, Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association initiatives, opening a Dental School in Kampala, Uganda, school fees for AIDS orphaned girls in Blantyre, Malawi,  Polio Plus: the initiative to eradicate polio from the globe, construction of a building for the Southern Alberta Food Scarcity organization on the parking lot of the Seniors Center, and expanding the wooden playground on the green strip.”

Boehme says that in addition to all the projects, a District Rotary grant, of $2500 will be matched by $7500 from District 5360 in partnering with the Mark and Sarah Baril family in building an orphanage school and dormitory near Mbale, Uganda and continuing support of the Malawi Aids orphaned girls school.

Boehme says that the citizens of the town of Raymond and southern Alberta know and appreciate the work of the Rotary club and are happy to join with them in supporting service initiatives. 

Boehme says that there are a variety of ways to support the Dinner and Dance, including gathering their friends and pooling for a table of 8 or 10 individuals (or 4 or 6) for a social evening with family or friends. Funds raised from this year’s event, Boehme says, will primarily support the following projects: Rotary International Student Exchange, as they are sending a student from Magrath High School Sadie Ririe; Upgrading the Wood Park/Playground; supporting the orphanage school and dorms in Mbale, Uganda; and the Raymond High School Scholarship Fund.

The history books, Boehme says, should indicate a 1966 start during which time they have been indebted to the Raymond Alberta Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the use of their Cultural Hall, which hosts a number of community events throughout the year, as it is the only facility in Raymond which can accommodate the event’s numbers. The Rotary Club of Raymond itself, Boehme says, was chartered in 1938 with 16 founding members after a five-year period of being a satellite of the Lethbridge Rotary Club.

“The community’s support of the Dinner-Dance over the years has enabled a multitude of individuals and community organizations to contribute to the aforementioned projects ample evidence individuals are able to leverage their desire to do good through Rotary,” said Boehme. “The Rotary Club could accomplish very little without the level of support we receive from the community.”

Boehme says that people who want tickets are welcome to contact himself at (587) 370-9761 or Bob at (403) 393-5506.

“As one who loves to dance, eat great food and enjoy top notch local entertainment, socialize and do good, I look forward to this event each year,” said Boehme. “If only one of these purposes were served by your attendance it would be worth the ticket price, appreciated by the club and all the beneficiaries of the club’s community and humanitarian work. If you don’t have time to join the club formally, join us by supporting our initiatives in building a better community.”