A community social is being held at the Ste. Agathe Arena on May 13 for the Raise the Stick campaign, which is raising money for facility repairs. The event is part of a campaign hoping to raise $750,000 toward a new ice plant, including condenser, chiller, compressors, and pumps.
Starting at 8:00 p.m., the social will feature music by DJ Derek, refreshments, community fun, and a raffle for prizes.
“Come out and support a great cause, and have a drink with friends. There will be a late lunch of pizza and the prizes are absolutely amazing,” says Sylvain Lemoine, vice-president of the Ste. Agathe Arena’s board of directors and one of the fundraising coordinators. “There’s a kids prize, a pampering prize, a BBQ prize, a jets prize, and much more.”
According to the RM of Ritchot, the Ste. Agathe Arena has been an integral part of the community since it first opened in 1978. Residents from Ste. Adolphe, Niverville, Aubigny, Rosenort, and many other surrounding towns have all utilized the rink in varying capacities.
Due to regular maintenance and careful consideration, only operating the ice plant under proper environmental considerations, the plant has already greatly outlasted its expected service life.
For many years, volunteer members of the board have applied for a variety of grants to sustain and improve operations, but the time has come to make a major effort toward a full replacement of the equipment.
“The ice plant retrofit means that we need to completely replace our current ice plant,” says Lemoine. “Normal life expectancy for an ice plant is around 25 years and we have reached year 40. Though it has been rebuilt a couple times, it is on its last leg. So we are looking at completely replacing it.”
Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the Ste. Agathe Service Centre in Ste. Agathe or at BSI Insurance in Niverville.
