Your workday lunch break doesn’t have to be a quick sandwich and back to your desk on October 8. Woolwich Community Services is hosting a Lunch and Laughter on a budget Fundraiser featuring a poor-boy-style lunch and a comedy routine by local entertainer Neil Aitchison at Gale Presbyterian Church.
![Neil Aitchison will provide the entertainment at the October 8 fundraiser.[Submitted]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/post_news_fundraiser.jpg)
Leigh-Anne Quinn, community resource coordinator, said she got the idea a few years ago when she went to a similar event in Waterloo. This fundraising event will help fill a need for WCS, who’s short on their fundraising goals due to a couple changes this year.
“We moved our thrift shop, which is a main fundraiser for us, so we have the Woolwich Thrift Shop,” Quinn said. “And all of the proceeds go directly back into our programs. So costs are increasing, rent and so forth until we get into our new building.”
They also usually receive funds from the Grand River Amazing Race through teams signing up to participate. The group took a year off from having the race this year to plan a bigger, better one for 2015.
She said they’ve been approaching local businesses to buy tickets and tables of eight so they can show appreciation for their staff, clients or even their friends.
“We’ve had lots of local support, lots of local companies that have purchased tables for their employees and as well as for their clients,” Quinn said. “And actually what’s really interesting is that some companies are holding a raffle. So you put your name in and then eight people’s names will be drawn and they get to go.”
They hope to raise between $4,000 and $5,000 at the lunch, for which tickets are still available. Tickets are $35 each or $200 for a table. The lunch runs from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
The money raised will go toward their various projects like the Woolwich food bank, the Lunch Crunch program, the backpack program, and the Community Resource Centre.
“Woolwich Community Services relies heavily on donations and fundraising events and initiatives,” Quinn said. “So there was a need this year to have kind of a one-time event to help offset some of our operating costs.”
Guest speaker Neil Aitchison will be talking about what it’s like to be from small-town Canada. Quinn said the “poor boy’s style lunch” will be homemade macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, beans, and pudding.
Never Enough Thyme, Gale Presbyterian Church, Trinity United Church, Emanuel Missionary Church and Elmira Mennonite Church are donating the food for the event.
“We’ve approached several local churches in our community and they are all donating and making a different food product for the event. It’s really neat because I really believe that we live in a community that supports one another,” Quinn said. “And it’s really neat to see that all the churches are coming together to work together and help where help is needed.”
Aitchison works for Melloul-Blamey Construction, the event sponsor. He also is an entertainer with Drayton Entertainment and is a former local radio personality.
“I think he brings a lot to Waterloo Region and he also supports a lot of charities and does a lot of speaking engagements, so it just seemed like a great fit for us,” Quinn said.
She said the topic small-town living will be perfect for the Elmira audience. Attendees can expect to relate to what he’s talking about and have a lot of laughs around the table.
Quinn said she thinks it will engage different companies to provide something for their staff, and maybe upper management will stay in for lunch, while the rest of the staff gets to go out and have a good time.
“I truly believe that our community is very supportive that way. I think it’s really great to see that happening,” Quinn said.
To purchase tickets contact Quinn at 519-669-5139 or by email at leighanne_wcs@yahoo.ca.
