Hundreds of supporters from Niverville and beyond gathered at Evergreen Village on Friday, May 5, for a community auction and dinner. The Black & Gold Gala, organized by Niverville’s Friends of the Plex committee, was held to raise money for the proposed multiplex.
“Overall the evening was a success with good food, good company, and good prizes,” says Heather Miller, who sits on the multiplex committee. “The Friends of the Plex raised over $45,000 at the event towards the building of the multiplex recreational facility in Niverville.”
In fact, Miller later upped the final total to $47,980.09.
Tickets, which began selling in February, sold out in just a few days. Individual tickets were available for $65, and tables of eight cost $500.
“A big thanks go out to the volunteers for their hard work in planning the event, to all of the donors and sponsors for their support, and to our guests for the evening,” adds Miller. “Without you, the evening would not have been a success!”
The evening, emceed by local comedian Matt Falk, boasted three different kinds of auctions with dozens of prizes from more than 70 different donors. Guests, mostly adorned in black and gold per the evening’s theme, dropped bids throughout the evening in the silent and rainbow auctions.
Auction prizes were varied and abundant, with everything from guest passes and monthly gym memberships to gift certificates for zip-lining and hang-gliding. There were Jets tickets and merchandise, signed jerseys, food, wine, clothing, furniture, tools, books, rides in classic cars, a water ski package, a kayak, and a barbecue. McNaughton Mechanical offered one lucky winner free oil changes for a year, and Capo Coffee Lounge offered free coffee for a year.
The live auction, held after dinner, served as the main event and allowed people a chance to win some of the choicest items, including lake country getaways, vacation packages, and catered barbecues.
Niverville mayor Myron Dyck reiterated the need for a new recreation facility, touting the high number of young people in our region and the deteriorating conditions of the current arena, which was built in 1967 from repurposed construction materials.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Friends of the Plex committee for their hard work over the last two years on the multiplex project,” Dyck said. “I would like to especially thank the board chair, Clarence Braun, for his leadership in bringing the project along to this point—and eventually to completion of construction. And also thank you to the fundraising chair, Libby Hanna, for her leadership and hard work, especially [in regards to] putting this event together.”
The financial plan for the $16.5-million multiplex is three-pronged and will require $5 million contributions from each level of government—municipal, provincial, and federal. The Town of Niverville has already committed to their portion, and efforts are underway to secure the provincial and federal portions. The final $1.5 million will be provided through individual donations and the proceeds from events like the gala itself.
Shannon Martin and Ted Falk, Niverville’s provincial and federal elected representatives respectively, were in attendance.
“In 2016, we made our request to the federal government,” Dyck said. “Ted Falk is working with us to secure that funding, and I thank him for his efforts. This past winter, I met with provincial representatives about their portion of the funding, and our MLA Shannon Martin is continuing to work with us to bring this message to his colleagues at the Legislature and also to secure the necessary funds. And I thank him for his work as well.”
Dyck adds that the message from the Government of Manitoba is that projects that receive provincial funding must provide a return on investment and be regional in scope. He argues that Niverville, as the second largest community in southeastern Manitoba and fastest growing municipality in the province, is very much a regional hub. Forecasts show that Niverville will be Manitoba’s next city.
“We are a hub to the surrounding area as residents from neighbouring municipalities come to our community to work, shop, and utilize our health services,” Dyck added. “The message on return in investment, which we’re carrying forward to every level of government, is to consider the large budgets they carry in terms of the health department, the justice department, child and family services, and how a community meeting place such as our multiplex can eliminate costs to them in these areas.”
