More than 290 steak and lobster lovers were able to satisfy their cravings on July 6 at the Gimli Rec Centre. That has also made Gimli Rotary Club treasurer Bob Munro feel pretty satisfied.
“We raised more than $10,000 for local community projects,” he said.
But with the steamers cleaned and stored away after Lobsterfest 2024, the Rotary Club is already preparing the rec centre for its next big project: the book sale, which will be held on Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We put out our collection box on Centre Street and Fourth Avenue in Gimli in the spring,” said Munro, who has run the book fair for several years, “and it has been overflowing. We got a lot of exceptional donations this year; a good cross-section of books for everybody.”
After a two-year COVID-induced pause in the book sale, “people came out in droves last year,” Munro said, with the sale raising more than $5,000.
At $2 per paperback and $3 for hardcover, that’s a lot of books that found new homes. Proceeds are used to support nutritional programs and fund scholarships in the Evergreen School Division.
If you can’t make it to the book donation bin or have a large number of books you want to donate for the sale, members of the club can pick them up. Call Bob Munro at 204-641-4222.
Every project Gimli Rotary Club takes on is made possible by tremendous community support. Throughout the year, donated books are stored in a warehouse donated by Lake Agassiz Marine.
“That company has been supporting our book sale for years, and I want them to know how much we appreciate it,” said Munro.
Lobsterfest also benefits from great local support. Businesses do everything from donating thousands of dollars worth of items for silent and rainbow auctions, buying tables for employees and friends, and keeping the lobsters chilled after they arrive fresh from Nova Scotia.
“This year’s Lobsterfest was a great success,” said Gimli Rotary Club President Diane Fjeld. “Everyone is already looking forward to the next one. We got lots of good comments.”
Fjeld sends out a big thank you to all the community sponsors who helped make it a success, including the RM of Gimli, which donates the curling rink for these events, and to the Lakeview Resort, which donates space in the hotel for the club’s meetings.
Fjeld said the club would discuss specific community projects for which the Lobsterfest revenue could be earmarked.
One such project is The Hub, the new youth centre planned for Gimli.
“There is a lot of funding going toward the building itself,” Fjeld said, “so perhaps we could focus on the inside stuff. They’ll need tables, chairs, and other equipment.”
If you want to roll up your sleeves and join the busy Rotary service club, email gimlirotary@hotmail.com. You can also visit one of our meetings, which are held at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays each month at the Lakeview Resort in Gimli.
Express Photos by Rayme Thomson
