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Community Builders Gala seeks donations

With the annual Cochrane Community Builders Gala to honour Alex Baum quickly approaching, those involved with the sold-out event are looking to the community for final donations to go toward a cause they feel is more than worthy.
Girl guides camp jubilee
Girl Guide volunteer Jocelyn Desmarais, gives a tour of Camp Jubilee to Rotary member Cathy Groenland. The camp will benefit from proceeds of the upcoming Community Builders Gala.

With the annual Cochrane Community Builders Gala to honour Alex Baum quickly approaching, those involved with the sold-out event are looking to the community for final donations to go toward a cause they feel is more than worthy.

While the June 2 gala event, including a catered RancheHouse dinner, celebrity speakers and a live auction, is sold out volunteers are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure it’s the celebration of the season – there is still a want for some big ticket items for the cause.

“What we’re in need of is those live auction items,” said Stephen Simms, current president of Rotary Club of Cochrane – the service club that is behind the fundraiser.

It was retired celebrity wrestler and philanthropist Dan Kroffat who kickstarted the Community Builders Gala in fall 2016, seeking a way to pay tribute to giants both in and outside the community – moving forces who have impacted the lives of Cochranites.

Beginning with late Cochrane Eagle publisher Jack Tennant, last year was followed up with a tribute to legendary retired Calgary Flames trainer and public figure Bearcat Murray.

The tributes serve to recognize these selected individuals, while raising funds for a worthy, local cause.

This year, the event is looking to raise money to help the Girl Guides of Calgary and area build their natural, accessible playground at their Camp Jubilee located on the south side of Cochrane at their base.

This is a revitalization project in the wake of the 2013 flood that wiped out their playground six years ago. Last year, phase one was completed – the Team Adventure Park, with a price tag of $215,000 that was footed by provincial grant dollars.

With a price tag of $650,000 for phases two (the playground) and three (an outdoor amphitheater), the Girl Guides are grateful for the Rotary Club’s push to raise $125,000 through the gala, this year’s annual Tournament of Aces charity golf tourney and the Outhouse Races.

Arzmund Teja, the Calgary area commissioner for the Girl Guides, expressed her gratitude for the volunteerism and combined effort to get the playground project done.

“We can’t do this without the Rotary’s support … we have a long way to go,” said Teja, who said the organization will go after grant dollars once a base amount is fundraised, to help reach their needed amount of $650,000.

The Girl Guides of Calgary is an organization for young girls between ages five to 18 throughout the entire greater Calgary region – including Cochrane.

The volunteer-run organization provides inclusive, enriching, team building and healthy lifestyle training centered around life skills and the outdoors. The local organization has a current membership of some 4,900 girls, facilitated by 1,100 volunteer women and four staff.

“We’re really lucky that the Cochrane community has embraced this project,” said Teja.

“I think the amenity itself will bring an asset to the community … (the project) will have a huge impact on the growth and development of our girls,” added Tracy Brooker, Girl Guide volunteer, Rotarian and member of the organization committee for the gala event.

Alex Baum

“Alex has lived his life with absolute integrity and that of giving,” said Simms. “He’s a moving force and dynamo in this community.”

Simms will step down at the end of his one-year term this July, but will stay on in the service club as Baum steps into the role of president.

He gave a nod to Baum for the big push he has given to such community undertakings pointing to the move of the Bow RiversEdge Campground to its current site behind SLSFSC and the formation of the society that runs it ­– a collaborative effort among the Lions, Town of Cochrane and Rotary Club in the early 2000s.

Baum will also continue to take the lead on connecting the Great Trail from Calgary through Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park to Cochrane to Morley and onto Canmore – which Simms stressed is no small undertaking.

Simms also highlighted the local and international scale of the Rotary organization as being a major benefit to any causes the club fundraises for – as the service club the ability to access matching grants to help major community initiatives become reality.

At present, the Rotary Club is forming a young professional service club arm that will create opportunity for those between ages 25 and 40 to give back to the community.

For Kroffat, selecting Baum was an easy decision.

"What is it that makes people community builders? For me, the criteria is individuals who make a difference in the community – changing people's lives and asking for nothing in return," said Kroffat.

Contact Kroffat at 403-850-1001 if you or your organization can contribute to the live auction on June 2.

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