The Royal Canadian Legion Number 47 in Weyburn is one of the 81 Legion branches throughout Saskatchewan that will be receiving some much-needed upgrades thanks to grants. The Saskatchewan Veteran Service Club Support Program. Provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, up to $30,000 will go toward helping alleviate the costs of repairs and upgrades.
The program was originally introduced in 2019-2020 to help raise funds for Legion to complete projects such as repairs, upgrades, special events, operating costs, and future developments. Since then, it has raised nearly $6 million for nearly 400 different branches throughout Saskatchewan.
Debbie Kater, Secretary-Manager of the Weyburn Legion, stated this money alongside the fundraising that the Legion does is imperative to the future success of the Legion.
“I believe we have an awesome facility to start with, so grants like this will just enhance it. It needed a facelift and that's what we're doing. We appreciate the grant more than you’ll ever know. People around here are very supportive of the Legion and they give and they give. But at the same time, we need sometimes that big boost to come in."
Kater, alongside the wonderful people at the Weyburn Legion, has some big plans in store for this money, which will go towards repairing and improving the Legion building here in Weyburn.
“We are putting completely new lighting into the auditorium of the Legion. The lighting will be LED, and it's energy efficient, so it's saving in the long run. We've got some funding to fix up the men's washroom because it definitely needs a facelift, and we've got some extra things we're trying to improve our bar area. So we're using little bits and pieces."
The Weyburn Legion continues to thank the community for its everlasting support and has big plans for fundraisers coming up in September and October.