WEYBURN – Current and past members of the Quota Club of Weyburn gathered one final time on Thursday evening at the Captain’s Hall to visit and say their goodbyes, and to make a final disbursement of their funds to the various community organizations the club has supported over their 68-year history.
“In late 2021, Quota Club of Weyburn members held an honest and difficult discussion, and made the decision to cease operations as an entity. Following that conclusion, we turned our focus to move forward and to celebrate our history, and make sure we showed support to the groups and organizations that are important to us,” said club vice-president Caitlyn Dusyk by way of explanation for the evening.
The organizations they announced donations for included the Salvation Army, Envision Counselling and Support Centre, Weyburn Rotary Music Festival, the toy lending library at the Weyburn Public Library, and the Weyburn Care-A-Van Society.
Club president Melanie Sorensen noted that Quota has supported the Salvation Army in many ways, including helping sort through food and toy donations, and collecting donations of goods and money. The donation to the Salvation Army is $1,115.
The club supports Envision as an organization “that provides support and services to disadvantaged women and children,” said Sorensen. “Countless individuals and families have been engaged in varying ways with the centre and we are grateful to have this service.”
She presented a donation of $1,340 to Lynda Rideout, executive director of Envision Counselling.
Quotarian Heather Sidloski accepted the donation of $1,690 to the Weyburn Rotary Music Festival as that organization’s president.
“The music festival provides an opportunity for students and lovers of music to perform and receive education through adjudication. The club has sponsored scholarships for a number of years and greatly enjoys the celebration of success of the Stars of the Festival event,” said Sorensen.
A presentation was made to librarian Katherine Wagner for the toy-lending library, a project that Quota has supported for many years in honour of long-time librarian and Quota member Marlene Yurkowski.
She served as the head librarian from 1977 to 1996, and served as the secretary-treasurer for Quota, and was instrumental in presenting the Women of the Year Awards. She received international recognition within the club as the Quota Volunteer of the Year.
The donation to the toy-lending library was $1,805.
The final donation of the night was to the Weyburn Care-A-Van Society, accepted by Quotarian and president June Fletcher, in the amount of $7,330.
The society is a non-profit organization that provides transportation in the city to individuals with disabilities, and Quota has been a member of the group since 1980.
Fletcher noted they depended on Quota for their support each year, and asked everyone to keep Care-A-Van in mind in the future as they continue to need community support.
The week prior, Quota had announced a major donation of $10,066 in honour of one of Quota’s founding members, the late Isabelle Butters, to the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation.
Sorensen also made note that two of the group’s major annual events have been taken on by other community groups.
The Festival of Carols will be taken over by the Weyburn Rotary Club, while the Women of the Year Awards will now be presented by the Weyburn YF Wives Club. The “Women of Distinction Gala” will have its first presentation on May 5, 2023.
