Six years ago, Squamish resident Marie Blott wanted to do something for local women in memory of all the hard work her mother did in raising 13 children back in New Brunswick. She contacted Deidre Plaatjes, who at the time was a member of the board of the Howe Sound Women's Centre Society's (HSWC) board of directors.
The event organized by Blott, Plaatjes and others -the Mother's Day Women's Centre Silent Auction - is still going strong. The event, which has raised an average of around $5,000 in each of its first five years, is coming up again this Saturday (May 5) at the Cliffside Pub in Valleycliffe.
Plaatjes is no longer on the HSWC board but remains committed to the valuable programs and services that the centre provides. Twenty-five years ago, she was a single mother with two children and made use of some of the supports provided by the centre.
"If they hadn't been there for me, I don't know where I would have been," Plaatjes said. "I grew up here, but went away to university... I came back to town as a single mom and my parents had moved on. I was in the town where I grew up and didn't know anyone."
All proceeds from Saturday's event will go to the HSWC, which recently marked its 30th anniversary. It operates Pearl's Place Transition House, Pearl's Safe Home in Pemberton, a program for children who witness abuse throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor, Multicultural Outreach, First Nation Outreach and other programs that serve women and children.
The event will kick off with the silent auction beginning at 5 p.m. Items up for auction include stays at hotels in both Whistler and Squamish, rounds of golf and gift certificates from a wide variety of local jewelry and clothing retailers.
The event will also include a Burger and Beer Night, with tickets available in advance from the Style Zone for $10. Live entertainment will be provided by Squamish-based Jeffrey James and the Bootleggers, with karaoke provided by Hellyeah later in the evening. There will also be a 50-50 draw, Plaatjes said.
In its first five years a loyal group of volunteers has helped organize the event, Plaatjes said. One of those is Cliffside Pub owner Thelma Yamaguchi, who is supplying the venue free of charge, she said.
The fundraiser has been a sellout in each of its first five years.
"I enjoy doing it every year. You meet so many new people and people always have a blast coming to it," Plaatjes said.
