May 1 will mark the third annual wine and cheese event hosted by The Niverville Foundation. This year’s evening corresponds with the charitable organization’s annual general meeting and, additionally, will be a celebration of local artists.
With the purchase of a $25 ticket, anyone may attend. The highlight will be the presentation of three financial awards.
Grants of $2,000 each will be presented to the Mobility Van Project, whose organizers are working towards the purchase of a community mobility van, and the upcoming Niverville lending library. The library will use the grant for the purchase of a computer and audiobook licensing.
A further $1,284 will be presented to Open Health Niverville for the acquisition of a bariatric weigh scale.
The evening is hosted at the Golden Friendship Centre, with the AGM formalities beginning at 6:30. The agenda will include the election of a new board member to replace outgoing Andrew Neufeld.
Paul Dufour and Ludolf Grollé have both let their names stand for the open position. Those who have donated to The Niverville Foundation in the past are eligible to cast a vote.
Other board members include Ken Rempel, Annette Fast, Mariska Loeppky, Rachel Niessen, Keith Bueckert, and Libby Hanna.
Beginning at 7:00 p.m., attendees will have an opportunity to brush shoulders with board members and discover all the great things happening through The Niverville Foundation.
Of course, there will be wine and cheese. Additionally, the evening will feature silent auction prizes and displays of art. Six local artists will be on hand to talk about their work, which will also be offered for sale.
The artists include Jenn Lundy, Lois Neufeld, Elaine Krahn, Jolene Pauls, Helene Dyck, and Cody Sawatzky.
“This [event] will offer an affordable evening for all… in a different format from the gala dinners that have been the hallmark of fundraising to date,” says board member Libby Hanna. “It brings awareness to the benefits of the growing Niverville Foundation [as we] dispense grants to community projects. We also wanted to highlight the artistic talent in our community and give them an opportunity to show and sell their work to the public.”
The Niverville Foundation is a not-for-profit organization which got its start in 1992 through community champions like Norman Wittick and George Sawatzky.
The premise of the foundation is to provide an avenue for people to make charitable donations to local causes of their choice. The Niverville Foundation is there for those who are in the midst of estate planning, as well as those who have sold capital and are looking to ease their tax burden while benefitting their community.
Donors can direct their donations anonymously or choose to be recognized for their contributions.
Either way, the foundation promises to take care of all the administrative work and reporting to the Canada Revenue Agency so the donor doesn’t have to worry about such details.
Since its inception, more than $1.3 million in donations have been made, dollars which have gone on to tangibly boost community projects in Niverville and the surrounding area.
In the coming months, the foundation plans to include grant applications on their website, making it easier for groups to apply for funding.
“Supporting The Niverville Foundation and the building of our endowment fund will go to supporting many community projects and groups in the year to come,” says Hanna.
