It was raining men – and donations for the Shawville Arena – at the second annual men’s night on Friday hosted by the Pontiac Arena Fund (PAF).
President Mike Rusenstrom estimates an attendance of over 600 for Friday’s event, the latest in a series of fundraisers the PAF has organized in support of repairs to the arena.
Rusenstrom said at the event that since it formed last year, the PAF had already raised in excess of $260,000 – money that will be going toward a grant application that would fund around $1 million worth of upgrades to the arena.
This year’s event was no different. In addition to table sales and bar sales, the community donations kept flowing in. The Municipality of Clarendon presented a cheque for $50,000, while the Flying Elbows Tournament contributed $7,000 of its own.
The live auction was both a source of entertainment and a fundraising opportunity, with several big-ticket items up for grabs: a Montreal Canadiens jersey signed by the entire roster, tickets to see the Canadiens live at the Bell Centre, as well as a 900-lb. cut and wrapped steer, which was the evening’s highest-bidding item at just over $22,000.
Rusenstrom said on Monday that the night brought in $175,000, bringing the total of money raised to $435,000. He said the reaction from the community has been stellar, with everyone coming together over a common cause.
“It’s just incredible to see the second year, people showing up and seeing different faces and the connections that everyone has to the arena,” he said.
Going forward, Rusenstrom said he would like to start raising money for the arena’s floor, which has not been replaced for around 55 years. A complete replacement of the floor, as well as the piping underneath of it, are estimated to cost around $2 million.
In coming months, the PAF will be organizing a Ford test-drive event on Canada Day, where Ford will donate $30 every time someone test drives a Ford vehicle. Then, the group will put on its second annual ladies’ night in September.
