Over 70 community members showed up last Saturday to the Estevan Legion's Steak Night. This is their first fundraising event to support a $500,000 bill to replace the roof of the Legion.
"We had a good turnout. We've got a long ways to go and there's a lot of money to be raised for it. We've had some community support come through already, which we'll be doing some announcements on that fairly shortly. It's a big project and we're confident we can get it done with the help of the community," noted Jim 'Frosty' Forrest, the president of the local Legion chapter.
The steak night was held at the club room, two doors down from the event halls. The $25 ticket included a piece of steak, some salad, baked beans, and a seat at the table alongside fellow Legion supporters. "I thought it was an excellent meal myself. I thought it was really good and a really nice turnout and, you know, everyone seemed to be enjoying it."
Numbers have yet to be released, but at a rough count, the event raised an estimate $1,750 towards that goal.
This event is the first of many to help fund a replacement roof for the Legion. Forrest noted that they're about a quarter of the way funded, and they're looking for more support from the community.
Frosty has been the president of the local Legion chapter for just under a decade, with his membership of the Estevan branch getting close to 15 years. He notes that this is an important establishment, not just for him and its members, but for the community as a whole.
"When I first lived in Estevan, when I was first married, you know, the Legion Clubroom was the place to go on Friday and Saturday night. We spent many evenings there, you know, there was always live entertainment and so on. We've had some really good concerts in our big hall. [We had] banquets, suppers, fall suppers, dances, you know. We do a New Year's Eve thing every year. And just kind of the camaraderie of the community too. The community coming out and getting to know more people through that too, you know."
He shared that the roof was last replaced in 2008. Since then, it's seen its fair share of repairs from hail damage and other weather-related issues. He's concerned about its integrity in the future, and what safety problems that may come about if the roof isn't replaced soon.
"When we had these big hailstorms, it punctured the membrane that was on there. The foam they had used underneath it wasn't water resistant -- it absorbed water. So it's taken on a lot of water. And consequently, then we get leaks inside the building. And just the weight of that has become a concern as well, and we feel that we've got to do this."
The Legion is currently circulating an appeal for donations to business in Estevan and surrounding areas to hopefully drum up support for their fundraiser. He noted that some businesses have already stepped up to the plate, and that announcements will be made soon.
You can find out more about the Estevan Legion through their website and their Facebook page.