WESTLOCK – The community showed its support for the Westlock Football Association as it raised $6,800 at the second-annual Fun Texas Hold’em Tournament.
The March 25 fundraiser held at the Westlock Curling Rink welcomed close to 90 poker-playing participants from across the region including Edmonton, Barrhead, Athabasca and Morinville. And at the end of the night it was Gary Stefan who was declared champion and walked away with a $2,000 cash voucher from Marquette Farms and Custom Silage. Mike Groulx finished second and took home a 75-inch TV courtesy LC Welding, while David Beckstead wound up in third and won a paddle board and car detailing package valued at $1,500 from Legal Motors.
“Everyone stepped up and helped the football team — it was fantastic to see,” said Thunderbirds fundraising coordinator Jerry Buchko. “It was our most successful one yet. It was a great atmosphere that night, everybody had fun …it was a huge, phenomenal success.
“We can’t thank the community enough for all the support, especially this year and over the years,” he added, noting the generous sponsors and donations from local businesses. “It’s just incredible.”
The football association took over the fundraising tournament last year, after the Westlock and District Agricultural Society gave it up after hosting it for many years, noted Buchko, who noted it was an event residents enjoyed as a way to support local groups and organizations in the community.
“I know when the ag society did it, I always looked forward to it,” he said, noting last year’s event raised $4,000. “We can’t let this die so we just took it over and it’s been a big, big success.”
The evening also featured a dinner, raffle draws with 62 prizes donated locally along with the poker tournament. Money raised from the event will go towards needed equipment for the team when they hit the field at Westlock Elementary School in May for the club’s annual spring training.
“Our biggest expense is always the football equipment, from the helmet down to the knee pads and also transportation,” said Buchko. “That's a big cost every year, getting the kids around to out-of-town games and then field paint usually costs about $1,500 a year to paint the football field two or three times a year, so those are our three biggest expenses.”
One other consideration the football club is looking at this upcoming season, is the possibility of entrenching the power lines for the lights at the football field. “We’re going to plan and see what the costs are going to be instead of using the generator and haul it out there for every game,” he said. “We can get the community out there and maybe do something in the wintertime as well. It’s not just for football, the lights are for the entire community.”
