Cars lined the parking lot of the Shawville arena and the surrounding fairgrounds on Friday evening to participate in the drive-in bingo fundraiser event hosted by the Pontiac Arena Fund (PAF), organized to help finance much-needed upgrades to the Shawville arena.
Before the bingo began, volunteers flipped burgers and filled hot dogs to ensure players were fueled up for the multiple rounds of bingo that were to follow, which had $2,000 of cash prizes on the line.
When the games began, caller Phil Holmes’s voice could be heard streaming out of car radios across the fairgrounds thanks to a transmitter borrowed from New Hope Christian Fellowship church which used it to broadcast church services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PAF vice-president Meagan Derouin said she wanted to try new fundraising ideas to help bring people out. This event was inspired by the weekly radio bingo event held in Carp, which is used as an ongoing fundraiser for the Carp Fair.
Jo-Anne Brownlee and Jennifer Davies were set up, like many others, with a table and chairs in front of the cars. They make frequent trips to the Carp bingo events, and even have bingo bags filled with some snacks, dabbers, and clothes pins to keep pages from blowing away in the breeze.
While in Shawville, they were pleased the event was brought close to home, and for “such a good cause”, Davies said, noting how the community has really come together to support the rink fund.
The bingo night brought in around $2,000 for the arena upgrades, the latest contribution to PAF fundraising efforts that began when the group formed in March of this year.
On July 21, the PAF held its first annual general meeting, where they shared that as of July 1, the group has managed to raise just over $180,300.
The fundraising efforts are led by president Mike Rusenstrom, vice-president Derouin, secretary Shelley Heaphy, treasurer Brady Moloughney, and directors Bonnie Fraser, Stephen Rusenstrom, and Ryan Currie. The group’s primary goal is a full replacement of the ice plant at the arena, which is estimated to cost a minimum of $2 million.
Rusenstrom said the group is hoping to land some government funding in the future. The catch, he said, is that for the majority of grants, the group has to be able to put up around two thirds of the total cost on its own before it can be approved for a grant.
For this project, that two thirds is around $700,000.
“But at the same time, it’s one hundred percent dependent on what’s available through different government programs,” Rusenstrom said, noting there are none currently available.
“We just need to be ready so that when something does open up, we’ll actually be able to act on it and not have to start from scratch at that point.”
The Municipality of Shawville and the Pontiac Agricultural Society have pledged to donate an annual $25,000 each to be invested into the arena. This year, this money has gone towards insulation upgrades to some of the walls, which will be completed by the time the plant turns on this fall.
In June the group received its registered business number, and is currently applying for charity status, which may help open doors to other funding opportunities, Rusenstrom said.
The PAF’s next fundraiser is a ladies’ night that will be held on Sept. 19.
