STOUGHTON - The Carlyle Sports Arena was a busy place on April 20 when the Carlyle District Lions Club held its 31st annual fundraiser dinner, raffle, auction and dance.
As the crowd of 460 people slowly arrived, they could check out nearly 30 items on the silent auction tables, which were located on the east wall of the arena.
There was a raffle table that contained 35 items, and 11 more items were available through the raffle draws.
The ticket that got a person into the event was also entered into a $1,000 draw. This prize went to the Precision Ag table who were excited with the prize.
Event chairman Tim Sedor welcomed everyone. He hoped that this auction would be just as exciting as it was last year, as they strive to make the event fun.
The supper was prepared and served buffet style by Weir’s Catering. Lynda Briggs of Carlyle was the lucky winner of $2,465 through the 50/50 draw.
The live auction brought a lot of eagerness as bidders tried to outbid their friends. Leaping Lion Larry from Lampman was the auctioneer and kept the action going. As Sedor announced an item up for auction, the auctioneer had his spotters checking for bidders.
Seventeen items were up on the auction block, and they brought over $20,000 for the fundraiser. A mystery prize donated by the Lions Club brought in a healthy $2,100.
Sixty items were available on the raffle tables, making people pretty happy with the goods they won.
As the lights went down, the band Doctor Rocktopus came to life. They are located out of Winnipeg and have been performing for over half a decade. They entertained the crowd until the morning hours with their wide selection of rock tunes, keeping the dance floor hopping.
Anyone needing a ride home was taken care of through the safe ride program.
The following organizations will benefit from ticket sales, Carlyle Cubs Daycare, Carlyle Fire Department, Carlyle Library, Carlyle Minor Ball and Carlyle Minor Hockey, Carlyle Family Youth Centre, Cresent Point Leisure Complex, Friends of Moose Mountain Lodge, Gordon F. Kells High School program, Carlyle Elementary School, Manor Rec Board and Moose Mountain Wado-Kai Karate.
The Carlyle Lions Club are thankful for those who sold tickets, as this is what makes the event successful.
This years allocations of funds that will go back to the community will be based on how many tickets each club sold.
According to the club, events like this make Carlyle a special place to live, work and most of all to raise a family.
The total amount raised was not immediately available.
