The Rotary Club of Prince Albert received a major boost from their 15th annual Wine Premier at Plaza 88, and in Thursday they began spreading the wealth.
The Rotarians donated $14,500 of the roughly $28,000 they raised on Nov. 5 to the Mont St. Joseph Foundation during a short presentation Thursday morning. Wine Premier co-chair Les Mewis they were grateful for the opportunity to support the home.
“For years, we’ve supported healthcare, (and) it’s an organization that needs help, always,” Mewis said following the presentation. “Healthcare is very expensive and the equipment that they need is not always provided by the health department. It’s certainly something (where it’s) easy for people to understand the need.”
Mont St. Joseph Foundation CEO Wayne Nogier thanked the Prince Albert residents who made the Wine Premier a success. He also thanked the Rotarians for going “above and beyond” what’s expected to support the Mont St. Joseph Home.
“It’s a testament to the community (and) the Rotary Club here in Prince Albert,” Nogier said. “These are great partners and they just allow us to be excellent at everything we do.”
The foundation doesn’t have a specific project in mind for the $14,500 donation. Instead, it will go towards a number of smaller projects that Nogier said will make life better for Mont St. Joe residents.
The Rotary Club Wine Premier became a remote event when COVID hit. Instead of gathering at Plaza 88, attendees stopped off and picked up bottles of wine to take home.
The Rotary Club was able to host in-person events in 2021 and 2022. Mewis said they were confident community members would return and support the event, despite the one-year blip.
“(It’s) very well supported by the community in terms of people participation, but also sponsorships,” Mewis explained. “It (the Mont St. Joseph Foundation) is a great organization to support. I think that gives us a lot of credibility and gets our people out every year.”
