Roll the dice with South Gate's newest fundraiser

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As part of its ongoing fundraising, the city’s active adult recreation centre is hosting its very first Premier Casino Night.

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Roll the dice with South Gate's newest fundraiser Back to video

On Saturday, June 15, the South Gate Centre will be offering a wide array of entertainment, including popular games of chance like roulette and poker, as part of this special fundraiser. Guests will also be able to enjoy some delicious food and drinks while rolling the dice at the craps table or doubling down while playing blackjack.

“Escape from the daily grind and join us for what will surely be an unforgettable evening of fun and fundraising,” centre officials said in a media release.

Open to everyone 19 years of age and older, the $100 tickets for the casino night includes light refreshments, a welcome drink, one entry for the evening’s grand door prize and $200 in play money that can be used at the games. The evening will also offer music and a cash bar.

The money raised during the evening will be used to help fund the South Gate Centre’s planned expansion and renovation. That fundraising campaign launched in March 2022 with the announcement that 50 per cent of the centre’s total fundraising goal had already been met through various donations, including gifts from the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company and the Dr. Leonard Reeves Foundation.

As of Wednesday, the South Gate Centre has raised roughly $1.15 million — or 77 per cent — of its $1.5-million fundraising goal.

The balance of the funding for the roughly $9-million project — a $7.8-million commitment — is being provided by the city. Council is actually voting on awarding the tender for the project at its Thursday night meeting.

According to a staff report, Elgin Contracting and Restoration Ltd. — a St. Thomas-based firm — is the lowest of the eight bids received and is staff’s recommended contract. If approved, the work should begin in the late spring or early summer.

The contracted work will involve a 1,180-square-metre (12,800-square-foot) addition to the existing building, bumping its total area to almost 2,508 square metres (27,000 square feet). The highlight of the addition will be a 510-square-metre (5,500-square-foot) hall that can be divided into three spaces — an atrium, a lounge and a reception area.

The renovations planned at the centre cover an area of roughly 510 square metres (2,800 square feet) and will feature accessible washrooms, a servery, a storage and mechanical room, and a café/bar. Additional site work will involve upgraded hydro and water services, improved landscaping and parking lot enhancements.

The need for an expansion at the popular centre for adults 50 and older was prompted by a growing membership and increased programming. In 2020, the centre had more than 800 members and offered a robust choice of 68 different programs. At that point, the centre had already outgrown the space at the city-owned building at 191 old Wellington St. S.

According to Woodstock’s 2021 census profile, the number of adults older than 65 surpasses the number of children 14 and younger. If extended, adults 50 and older make up approximately 40 per cent of Woodstock’s population while children 14 and younger comprise roughly 17 per cent.

With this growing senior and older adult population, a greater demand for recreational facilities and options oriented towards that age group is needed, South Gate officials have said.

First opened in 1999, the South Gate Centre’s membership boasts more than 800 seniors, with more than 350 volunteers putting in over 25,000 hours each year. The centre “fully expects” to double these numbers following the expansion, officials have said.

“The growth has been astronomical. We’ve just continued to grow. . . . The passion and want to be part of something and want to be involved has never changed. It’s a great exercise at looking at the history,” Chris Cunningham, the centre’s executive director, said in an earlier interview.

More information about the centre, its programming and its fundraising campaign is available online at www.southgatectr.ca.

IF YOU GO

What: Premier Casino Night fundraiser

When: Saturday, June 15, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where: South Gate Centre, 191 Old Wellington St. S., Woodstock

The $100 tickets can be purchased at the centre or the Brock & Visser Funeral Home.