With a new year ahead, some Drayton Valley clubs are hoping things will return to normal in 2022.
Mary Drader, the co-president of the Rotary Club, says that many of their hopes for this year revolve around restrictions being lifted or relaxed.
“We’re hoping that the pandemic restrictions will ease up a little bit because without that happening it’s almost impossible to put on an event or to do any in-person fundraising,” says Drader.
She says if they do ease up then the club will be able to go ahead and do more hands-on and in-person community projects, such as the barbecues they used to put on every month.
“We do have a few things planned, and that we’re working on, and we’re hoping they will be able to come to fruition,” she says.
If they are allowed to go ahead, they hope to put on the 10th Anniversary Ladies Diamond Gala. They were unable to put it together in 2021, but Drader says it’s been a great event when they are able to have it.
The club is aiming to have the Gala on April 2, if they are able to go ahead with the project. Drader says they will be making that decision later this month. In May they are going to do a golf ball drop, which will be a raffle event, she says.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to in-person meetings. We’ve just been strictly on Zoom for the last few months,” says Drader. The hope is to move into hybrid meetings in January. She says by doing the hybrid model, those who want to attend the meetings physically can do that, and those that aren’t comfortable with attending the meeting can still use Zoom.
In July the executive board will be changing out, says Drader, and it’s possible they will have some new ideas for the club between July and December.
She says they like doing collaborations with other organizations in the community, such as the Lions Club.
As far as funding goes, Drader says the club isn’t worrying yet. They were able to participate in a casino, and they received funds from that. “So that puts us into a pretty good position coming into this year,” she says.
The Lions Club of Drayton Valley is also hoping for lowered restrictions. President Dylan Fulks says they aren’t exactly sure what they’re going to be able to do in the coming year.
“It kind of all depends where the world goes in the next couple of months,” says Fulks.
He says that if things can return to some sense of normalcy they would like to get back to doing the main events they normally do each year. That includes the Midway and a concert they put on every summer.
They’ve also been working on bringing the rodeo dance back to town, but last year they were forced to move the event to Buck Lake. In 2020, the rodeo was postponed because of the pandemic.
“We’re hoping to do all of that this spring or summer,” he says. This year the rodeo is planned for the end of April and they are hoping to put on the dance with the event.
Fulks says they want to get back to hosting community events again. “We started up a rodeo committee a couple of years ago to try to build the rodeo event out and get some other parties involved with it,” he says.
He says the first year they held it there was a pancake breakfast and a car show on the grounds. “[We want] stuff like that where we can get multiple groups in the town working on the same objective, and all taking a little piece of the pie,” he says. “The collaboration stuff is what I like to work on, to show that everyone can work together.”
Fulks says this year the funds for the club are lower than they would like it to be. He says they’re still trying to work, but they are definitely in need of a fundraiser. So far, they are only planning for their main events, but if those events don’t happen this year, they will have to look at some other ideas.
“Hopefully after three years we can do something,” says Fulks.
He says people are welcome to donate to the Lions Club if they are interested. “We don’t typically just ask for cash donations, but there is nothing to say that people can’t if they want to.”
The best way to reach the Club, he says, is through their Facebook page.
