On Aug. 22, the Morris Area Foundation (MAF) invited the public to an information night at the Morris Bigway parking lot.
A free hotdog BBQ, live band, bouncy castle, and a car show were on site for those that attended the evening, which was put on by the Morris Show & Shine, a group of local car enthusiasts that meet weekly to show off their rides.
“Every year for the past three years we have chosen a local charity and used the car show to highlight their event. This year it is the MAF,” says group spokesperson Ralph Fief.
While in past years the focus has been on raising funds for local projects and charities, this year their aim was to raise awareness of an organization that gives back to the community.
The foundation manages and invests financial gifts to build a permanent endowment fund that generates grants to support projects in Morris and the surrounding area.
Through partnerships with Thomas Sill Foundation, Winnipeg Foundation, Endow Manitoba, the Province of Manitoba, Community Foundations of Canada, area businesses and individuals, the foundation has returned over $170,000 to the community since it started offering grants in 2015.
MAF board members took over the barbecue to roast 228 hotdogs for the evening.
“The MAF thanks the Show and Shine car guys and Bigway for setting this up,” said foundation board chair Curtis Evanson. “You can’t get any better than hanging out with people, eating some food, and getting soaking wet to get our message out.”
The “soaking wet” came courtesy of the Morris Fire Department, who made it rain with their ladder truck and also showed off some of their other pieces of equipment and vehicles.
The evening also included music from the band Almost Famous.
Photos by Sean Conway/Voice
