CARLYLE — It was a night to remember as the Carlyle District Lions Club held its 30th annual supper and auction after a three-year hiatus.
For the first time ever, the event was held at the Carlyle Sports Arena with nearly 400 people in attendance.
The audience was treated to a full course meal catered by Rylan and Cindy Weir of Manor. After Carlyle Mayor Jennifer Sedor welcomed the crowd, long-time Lions member Wayne Wilson was recognized for his 20 years as being the event committee chairman.
This year’s committee chairman was Tim Sedor who kept the event moving along at a steady pace. There were 15 live auction items on the docket and Larry Loughren of Lampman was the auctioneer.
There were several new and interesting items in the live auction. These included a framed autographed jersey from Toronto Maple Leafs’ great Darryl Sittler, two electric bikes, and an airplane trip for two to anywhere in the world, along with new travel luggage.
Long-time Lion Dennis Feduk provided a freshly baked pie for every month of the year and Lions’ Club member Duncan Brown offered a 90-minute airplane ride over Carlyle and surrounding area.
There were several silent auction items to bid on and over 100 raffle items. Carlyle resident Anita Delalleau won the $1,730 pot of gold draw.
“I have purchased 50/50 tickets for years and live at the Carlyle Sports Arena all winter long. This was my first pot of gold, ever. Thank you Carlyle Lions Club,” said Delalleau.
After the auction concluded and all winners were announced, the audience enjoyed the music of the Steadies, a Saskatchewan band from Saskatoon.
“We are happy to be performing in Carlyle and wish to thank the Lions Club for inviting us. We truly hope everyone enjoyed our music,” said lead vocalist Earl Pereira.
Brad Cooper and his wife Michelle are members of the supper and auction committee.
“It was a pleasure serving on this committee for the 2023 event,” said Brad. “Michelle and I have been Lions members for a year and a half after moving to the Carlyle area, so this was our first auction. We had so much fun. We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people to impact our community in a positive way.
“If readers have ever considered joining the Lions, do it. It is a great way to meet new people and giving back to the community is incredibly rewarding.”
While net income figures from the auction were not disclosed, from all accounts this year’s function was a record-setting event. Nearly all the proceeds will be redistributed to various organizations in Carlyle and district. Recipients and amounts will be announced in June.
“The new Lions supper and auction format exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Sedor. “The energy the community brought to the bidding carried throughout the evening and was capped off by an amazing performance from Saskatoon’s The Steadies.
“Our audience partied well into the early hours of the morning with the band playing three encores. Had we not shut down the sound, I am sure they would have played all night. As a Lions Club, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Looking forward to next year. Thanks to everyone for making this a great event.”
