Westlock’s Victim Services Unit is gearing up for its biggest fundraiser of the year this weekend — the 12th annual Celtic Pub Night.
This year’s event is scheduled for March 22 at the Westlock & District Community Hall, and will once again feature the music of Celtic group The Boys of St. James Gate.
In addition, there will be a 50/50 draw taking place all night, as well as a silent auction, with all money raised going towards helping the organization continue doing the work it does in the community, said VSU co-ordinator Maureen Gibson.
The pub night is the organization’s largest fundraiser, and historically raises around $10,000 each year. That amount is a large part of the unit’s $75,000 annual budget, which pays for the co-ordinator position and all the services the unit provides.
The vast majority of VSU funding comes from grants from the Solicitor General’s office, with the remainder coming from fundraising activities or donations.
Victim Services works with victims of crime in the Westlock area and the wider community, Gibson said. Its mandate is wide-ranging, covering such incidents as vehicle collisions, assault and theft, just to name a few.
Services VSU personnel could provide include helping to relocate victims, providing money to get them home or to put them up in a hotel temporarily, or supply them with clothes, she said.
With those services in mind, Gibson said the pub night is a perfect opportunity for citizens to “be able to come and support a local organization in town that’s helping people around the community as well as other communities.”
“It’s also a great atmosphere for the evening,” she said.
The evening is especially meaningful for those attendees who know people who have been affected by crime, she added.
Gibson said the evening will follow the same general theme as past years’ nights have, with your typical pub fare of chicken wings, vegetables and drinks on offer.
People will be able to mingle about and meet people, she added, all while taking in the musical stylings of The Boys of St. James Gate, who have built a reputation playing in Westlock at the pub night.
“They’re an overall great band,” Gibson said. “It definitely adds to the atmosphere to have an Irish band like this to come in and play.”
However, she stressed the band is not actually Irish, but is instead composed of members from all over Canada.
The boys consistently put on a great show and get everyone moving around the dance floor, she added.
Only 300 tickets were printed for the evening, Gibson said, and have been selling well. They’re $30 each or a pair for $50, and are available at the Westlock RCMP detachment, Christian Creations or the Flower Shoppe.
Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.
