Clinton News Record, 2016-04-20, Page 19Wednesday, April 20, 2016 • News Record 19
Conservation Dinner surpasses $1 million mark in net proceeds raised over 27 years
Special to the
Clinton News Record
People in the area have
reached a milestone in fund-
raising for conservation pro-
jects in the community. The
27th Conservation Dinner
took place on Thursday, April
14 at the South Huron Recrea-
tion Centre in Exeter. The
Conservation Dinner Com-
mittee says the success of the
2016 event has helped the
fundraiser surpass the mark of
$1 million raised in net pro-
ceeds, by the community and
for the community, over the
27 -year history of the charita-
ble auction.
Final fundraising results
from the April 14 event are still
being tallied but organizers
say preliminary figures indi-
cate results similar to last
year's record-setting net pro-
ceeds of more than $60,000.
It was a full house on Thurs-
day. Those who attended were
generous in their support of
community projects through
the live auction, silent auc-
tion, Super Silent Auction,
General Raffles, and Special
Raffles. The tradition of fine
art continued. One of the
evening's live auction high-
lights was the feature art, an
interpretive metal sculpture of
Flying Geese, by feature artist
Jim Dawe, of Murals in Metal.
Other highlights included a
Groceries for a Year package
courtesy of Hansen's Your
Independent Grocer; a VIA
Rail Canada round trip to Hal-
ifax, courtesy of VIA Rail Can-
ada; original paintings; pack-
ages
ackages featuring sports and
entertainment celebrities;
and a number of other unique
items and experiences.
Attendees at the April 14
event included Charles Corbett,
the Conservation Dinner's very
first chairman from the inaugu-
ral dinner in 1990.
"It's a fabulous event each
year ... this year is our 27th year;"
said Paul Anstett, Chair of the
Conservation Dinner Commit-
tee. The crowd responded with
applause. After 27 years of Con-
servation Dinners, "we are into
a new generation of conserva-
tionists and individuals who
love their community," said
Anstett
The Conservation Dinner
began in 1990. The Exeter Lions
Club and the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Foundation have
beenjointpartners on the event
since 1991 and net proceeds are
split evenly between commu-
nity conservation projects of
the Foundation and the Exeter
Lions Club. "It's great to see
another full house, it's truly
appreciated by all," said Craig
Hebert, First Vice President of
the Exeter Lions Club. "The
Exeter Lions Club thanks every-
one for their continuing contri-
butions and support." He said
co -hosting the event for 26
years is a "historic milestone"
for the club. Proceeds to the
event support parks such as
MacNaughton Park and acces-
sible trails including the Mac -
Naughton -Morrison Section of
the South Huron Trail and he
noted that the trail recently cel-
ebrated its tenth anniversary.
He thanked the people who
started the trail and the crowd
responded with spontaneous
applause. He also noted that an
annual family -friendly fishing
derby is one of the events that
takes place thanks to Conserva-
tion Dinner support. "The Exe-
ter Lions Club and Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Founda-
tion contribute financially to
stocking the Morrison Reser-
voir with rainbow trout for our
annual fishing derby which is
held the first Saturday of May
for anglers young and young at
heart he said.
The charitable event sup-
ports community improve-
ments throughout the water-
shed such as accessible trails,
parks and conservation areas,
commemorative woods, and
nature education and recrea-
tion opportunities.
Ausable Bayfield Conserva-
tion Foundation Chair Bob
Radtke welcomed guests on
behalf of the Conservation
Foundation. "This will be a his-
toric night for us as we will sur-
pass the mark of $1 million
raised in 27 years; he said, to
applause from the crowd. The
Foundation chairman
acknowledged the many con-
tributions of the late Bob Norris,
a Foundation director, former
conservation authority director,
and "a Conservation Dinner
Committee member and
friend" who recently passed
away. "We extend our condo-
lences to his family," Radtke
said.
The Conservation Dinner
has been a year in the plan-
ning, according to Anstett,
"and next month we will begin
again." The chairman of the
Conservation Dinner Com-
mittee said "I want to thank
you from the bottom of my
heart for joining us tonight."
Organizers say the success of
this local charity event is possi-
ble because of the generosity of
businesses and donors, patrons
and guests, and artists and vol-
unteers. For more information
about the Conservation Dinner
visit abca.on.ca or conserva-
tiondinnetcom.
This year's feature art at the Conservation Dinner was the Flying Geese sculpture by Jim Dawe of Murals in Metal. In front of sculpture,
from left: Brian Horner, General Manager and Secretary -Treasurer, Ausable Bayfield Conservation; Mike Tam, Chairman of the Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Board of Directors; Jim Dawe, Feature Artist for 2016; Bob Radtke, Chairman, Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Foundation (ABCF); Paul Anstett, Chairman of the Conservation Dinner Committee; and Craig Hebert, First Vice President,
Exeter Lions Club.
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