The Sooke Lions Club received financial recognition from Sooke council last week, after it took the Sooke Santa Claus Parade on last year.
The club was given an honorarium of $5,000 for hosting and organizing the Sooke Santa Claus Parade on short notice, after the Sooke Chamber of Commerce pulled its sponsorship.
District of Sooke director of financial services Brent Blackhall said the Lions also receive a grant of $5,000 annually for Canada Day celebrations after the group took over from a previous organization.
Blackhall added that unlike grants, honorariums are payments to recognize contributions of a particular service that was provided, not an on-going program such as the Canada Day celebrations.
The municipality will look at adding a general tab covering community events as part of the annual budget.
Sooke Lions weren’t the only ones to receive an honorarium on Monday, as council also agreed to pay for the Mayor’s New Year’s levee, which featured treats, tea and coffee, music and the traditional New Year’s Day speech by Mayor Maja Tait.
The levee cost $1,363.18.
The honorariums came from the council contingency fund, which leaves the account at $28,636.32 for the remainder of 2017.