Mark it on your calendar, the boys in the bright white sports car are coming to Barrhead.
At the March 28 55 Plus Summer Games board meeting in Barrhead, Friends of the Games director Carol Lee announced the official booking of Canadian rock band Trooper to play a fundraising concert at the Barrhead Agrena on May 10.
Lee told her fellow directors the possibility is there to make over $10,000, which is “fantastic”. The board will get 50 per cent of the net bar sales, and has the option of running a concession, as well as putting on a silent auction or 50/50 draw.
Although the board will not receive any of the proceeds generated from regular ticket sales, the opportunity is there to profit off VIP tables.
“There are three different levels of VIP tables,” said games manager Marcie Mazurenko. “Any of the tables we sell, we get 10 per cent.”
In addition to the concert, Lee also announced the tickets for the Summer Games 50/50 draw have arrived. A total of 1,000 tickets were printed and will be sold for $10 each.
First prize will be half the pot minus the expense for the tickets. Second place prize, donated by the Town of Barrhead, is a $1,000 travel voucher.
“So there will be two prizes,” said Lee.
“I think that’s a nice extra.”
The draw will be made April 24 at Barrhead’s volunteer appreciation night.
Exciting news did not only come in the form of fundraising efforts, but a shiny gold object too. Games consultant Dave Turnbull presented a draft of a 55 Plus Summer Games gold medal, which was passed around.
The board was also able to see a number of promotional items on order, including large car magnets and local posters. Pins with the games logo, as well as ones announcing the wearer is a “Proud Supporter” have also been ordered.
Angie Hampshire, who is in charge of promotions, is currently working on souvenirs for the event.
Though she was unable to attend the meeting, her written report stated she plans to place orders sometime this week for items such as golf shirts, baseball caps, coffee mugs, and playing cards.
Mazurenko thanked the board for reducing the budget by $340,000.
With the exception of administration and registration and results, all of the individual budgets were reduced significantly.
Things are looking good on the volunteer front according to an e-mail from volunteer director Phyllis MacDougall.
As of March 19 the games have 193 volunteers registered. However MacDougall’s e-mail said the board can anticipate a total of about 225 volunteers or more, as many individuals have filled out their forms but haven’t submitted them yet.
Accommodations director Linda Williams was absent, but her written report said they are looking for billets.
The games will probably need about 50 homes in each community, said Williams, and although there have been many volunteers, a lot of them are out of town.
This will prove to be a problem if participants don’t have their own transportation, or volunteers are unable to provide it.
An 18-page agenda for the all-chair’s walk-through May 4 in Westlock was distributed.
The agenda provides a draft of the four days of the event through the eyes of the participants.
“It’s what they do and what they’re going to witness as they get here,” said Turnbull.
Game chairs are responsible for working with the Games office to prepare a visual presentation on their area of responsibility.
This will allow key organizers to become aware of what will take place during the event.
