WELLINGTON – Oct. 29, 2014 – Her faced adorned with an ear-to-ear grin, Summerside Salvation Army volunteer Kathy Cotton graciously accepted a $1750 donation that had just been raised at a benefit casino at Wellington Legion Saturday, Oct. 25.

She told organizers that this sum, added to the approximately 1,500 pounds of food that had been contributed by the Evangeline region earlier in the week, would help nourish a large number of needy families in East Prince over the next few weeks. Cotton warmly thanked everyone who had contributed to the cause.

Organized as a wrap-up for Co-op and Small Business Weeks in the area, the benefit casino was organized jointly by le Conseil de développement coopératif, Évangéline-Central Credit Union, The Co-operators, Wellington Co-op, the Wellington Rural Action Centre, the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce (CCAFLIPE) and RDÉE Prince Edward Island.

“This year, we wanted to try something different since we had previously organized a Let’s Make A Deal game show night two years in a row,” explains Chamber coordinator Raymond J. Arsenault. “We had no idea how many people would show up for a casino and how much money we’d be able to raise for the cause this year. We breathed a sigh of relief when we saw a comfortable crowd of about 80 generous players coming into the Legion hall.”

He said the crowd was smaller this year but more money was raised than last year.

Players seemed to be enjoying themselves at the 12 game stations, playing roulette, Texas Hold’em poker, Blackjack, Crown & Anchor and Horse Race. Volunteers from the Wellington Fire Department had graciously offered to operate the games. The organizing partners therefore presented the department with a $500 donation to thank them.

BIG WINNERS

Gamers at the casino played with chips and play money, which had been given to them at the door in exchange for a monetary donation to the food bank. At the end of the evening, those who still had money could exchange it for tickets for 16 different lotteries. The prizes to be won, with a combined value of over $2700, had all been donated by sponsors.

The main prize winners were:

• Paul Richard, who won $500 in services from AJL Contractors;
• Nicole Thompson, who won a family weekend package for four (2 nights, 2 breakfasts and a Chef’s Table Dinner – valued at $500) from Rodd Mill River Resort;
• Jamie Cormier, who won a $227 heater stove from Wellington Construction;
• and Dawn Gallant from won a $250 gift certificate from Arsenault’s Fish Mart.

The other main sponsors were Farm Credit Canada, Wellington Esso and The Co-operators; their prizes were divided into several lots with prizes from other contributors: Cavendish Figurines, Évangéline-Central Credit Union, RDÉE Prince Edward Island, HMS Office Supplies, Acadian Fishermen’s Co-op and Le Théâtre du Soleil oublié.

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CUTLINE: Kathy Cotton, left, a volunteer with the Summerside Salvation Army, graciously accepts a $1750 donation contributed by participants at a benefit casino for the food bank Oct. 25 in Wellington. Diane McInnis, marketing officer with the Évangéline-Central Credit Union, presents the cash to Cotton on behalf of the organizing partners of the evening.

 

For more information:

Raymond J. Arsenault
Coordinator
Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI
(902) 854-3439, Ext. 231
raymond@rdeeipe.org