RED LAKE -- Strong support from the Red Lake community has led to a successful dog park social.
On Saturday, April 30, the Red Lake Community Dog Park fundraising committee’s social took place at The Balmer Hotel.
Tickets were sold at various businesses and at the door for $10 each.
A penny auction took place at the social, with more than 25 gift baskets donated by local businesses and individuals. Artist Patrick Hunter donated 10 of his paintings to the park fundraising initiative, with one painting being used as the door prize. There was also a 50/50 draw and the music was DJ’d by Drew Southall.
Additional fundraising events had initially been planned, but due to the great support of the community, they will not be proceeding. Remaining donations will be auctioned off on the Lucky Mutts Art with Heart Facebook page over the next two weeks.
“I’m blown away and in shock; we’re overwhelmed by the generosity of the community,” says event organizer Agathe Breton-Plouffe.
The committee started fundraising efforts on April 6 of this year and needed to raise $10,000 for the sod that the park needed and its delivery. In the three short weeks since the start of planning, the committee held two bake sales and the social. Each back sale brought in an average of $1,500, and the social raised $4,200. A total of $11,500 was raised.
The leader of the project, Dayle Cottrell plans to meet with Mayor Fred Mota to plan for the parks’ next steps.
The committee plans to put all the excess money raised directly into the park. Some ideas discussed have ranged from as small as providing scoops for dog owners to use while at the park, to as big as installing a fountain.
“Red Lake is a very come and go town, people are always moving in and out because of the mine, the dog park is a great way to meet people,” says Breton-Plouffe.
The committee hopes to start construction as soon as the ground thaws.
