December is not yet here, but the Golden Age club in Fort-Coulonge was full of Christmas cheer on Saturday night for the club’s annual Christmas dinner.
Eighty hungry members of the public were treated to a turkey dinner with all the fixings. Club members prepared seven birds for the occasion, as well as tourtière, stuffing, vegetables and desserts.
In the dining room, Pierre Graveline, Rosalie Boucher and Conrad Denault provided live music to get everyone in the holiday spirit while they enjoyed their meals.
Board member Rosalie Boucher said the event raised about $1,500, which the club will put into its renovation account to update the building’s lights, floors and windows. She said the club aims to raise $25,000 to fund these renovations.
Boucher said attendance at big group meals like the Christmas dinner and the cipaille supper has shot back up in recent years after a slower period after the pandemic.
“We were lucky when we sold 45, 50 tickets after covid,” she said, adding that the current board has played a big role in bringing people back to the meals.
“When we cook our meals, they’re fresh that same day, and I think people want that. I think the food is talking for itself [ . . . ] and we go around and talk with everybody and welcome them and tell them that we appreciate their support,” she said.
Boucher said that the club recently filled out its board to a full seven members, which has made it easier to host the meals and other events like them.
“We’re a full committee now, and everybody participated in preparing the meals. I really commend them, they do wonderful work.”
Board members are Rosalie Denault Boucher, Christine Graveline, Andrée Sicard, Marie-France Levesque, Bertha Romain, Rachel Denault Nadeau and Barbara Greer.
