A fundraising campaign for the Asooahum Crossing cultural centre kicks off this week with the Family Day Friday Dance on Feb. 12th.
The event takes place at Festival Hall at 7 p.m. and will feature a variety of Metis entertainment, as well as dancing with the Country Pride Dance Club. There will be live country music and Metis fiddling by Trent Agecoutay and the Uncle Brothers.
As well, guests have the chance to learn a Metis jig and enjoy many homemade refreshments. There are also silent auction items available. Tickets are $20 per family, $10 per adult, $5 for youth and children under three get free entry. Tickets are available at the door, Peavey Mart or the Red Deer Native Friendship Centre (RDNFS).
“It’s going to be a wonderful fundraiser,” said Tanya Schur, director of the RDNFS.
“We are fundraising for the building of the culture centre, which we hope to start next year. That building will include a community centre, support services, the Aboriginal Youth Centre for Success and spaces for little ones to learn about culture.
“We have received funding for the housing portion, but need to raise funds for the cultural centre portion. The culture centre is designed to be a place for the entire community, not exclusively Aboriginal people. It will have meeting spaces, boardrooms and family events will be able to happen there as well,” Schur added.
The dance is a first of many fundraising events that will help to promote awareness of and gather funds for the cultural centre. Asooahum Crossing construction started in the fall of 2015, with foundations being laid for the first portion of the process.
“I was just at the land recently, and it’s amazing to see the foundations being poured for the first 16 units of housing,” Schur said.
“We hope that’s going to be finished by mid-fall, so that we can have families in by Christmas. That’s very exciting. After that, we will continue with another 16 units of housing, starting next year and then the cultural centre will be built.”
The Country Pride Dance Club, Red Deer Arts Council, Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society and City of Red Deer have joined the RDNFS to host the event and support the fundraising effort.
kmendonsa@reddeerexpress.com
