What are you doing on Saturday May 4 this year?
Why, going to the Sooke Rotary Auction and Spring Fair, of course!
The 23rd annual Rotary Auction and Spring Fair will be held at SEAPARC from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and features a full day of fun, food and fabulous entertainment. The Spring Fair and Auction is the Sooke Rotary’s premier fundraising event.
There will be over 75 tables with vendors on site, silent auction display tables, a stage for live entertainment, and a seating area for those who want to stay awhile and lend their ear to the performers.
According to a letter from president Peter Faulkner, over the past 25 years the Sooke Rotary has contributed to “the Skateboard Park, the Rotary Pier, the Sooke Area Sign, the playground shelter at CASA, the gazebo and garden safety improvements at Ayre Manor and we financed the purchase of a Community Youth bus. We have also supported the Sooke Youth Council and provided many scholarships and bursaries to Sooke students over the years.”
Faulkner zooms in on the Rotary Auction and Spring Fair, which “has grown into a full day of community activity, including an opportunity for local businesses and organizations to showcase their products and services. We see approximately 2000 people come to the event each year.”
John Bridal outlines the entertainment program for May 4, which includes:
11-12 Janet McTavish
12 - 1 Sooke Folk Music Society
1 - 2 Sooke Dance Studio
2 - 3 Trounce Alley Barbershop Quartet
3 - 4 Journey middle school Rock Band
4 - 5:30 Eric James Group, the Moon Dogs
6 - 7 Sooke Philharmonica String Quartet
Mark Ziegler, president elect for Rotary and the person who put the entertainment program together, said there were two things they wanted to emphasize in putting this program together: “variety, and youth.”
The youth component comes from the Sooke Dance Studio and the Journey middle school Rock Band; the other performers offer variety.
Ziegler also stressed that the time times during which a performance is scheduled include their set-up and take-down time.
Besides contributing as a performer, Eric James will also be providing the sound system. James has been involved with the annual Rotary Auction for the past few years. James plays for his dinner, he laughingly says.
The Moondogs, who play locally in Sooke and Victoria, consist of Mike Hartman on drums, Al Plainden on rhythm and guitar, Eric James on bass, and Al Johannesson on lead guitar. They perform popular rock music from the 50’s and 60’s, and always invite dancers to enjoy their rhythms.
“We’re a dance band,” emphasizes James.
Says Bridal of the event, “The first goal is for Rotary to give back to the community and to continue our focus on providing healthy and productive opportunities for youth. Our second goal is to help promote our event, with parents dropping off their kids, staying around for a while to have a bite to eat and listen to some live music, and maybe put in a few bids while they are there!”
But wait! There’s more!
This year for the first time ever, the Rotary is also sponsoring a free swim from 1 to 5 p.m. at SEAPARC. You might notice how this nicely complements Bridal’s second goal above.
In addition, there will be a massive silent auction, an evening dinner, and an outdoor plant sale.
The Edward Milne community school will be hosting their culinary arts cafe. The evening dinner offers a reasonably priced meal, and tables and chairs will be set up to accommodate the diners. And, says Zielger, you get to dine while listening to the “outstanding string performers that include three violins and a cello” from the Sooke Philharmonic String Quartet.
Admission to this annual event is free. So come one, come all, and see what the Rotary Club of Sooke has to offer at its 23rd Auction and Spring Fair.