Arena Expansion Project Update
We are now entering the critical phase of our fundraising drive. We have so far raised $1.9 Million of the $2.5 Million community portion of the cost of building the new rink. We need to raise another $600,000 in the next twelve weeks. And we need your help to do it. Here is information about three fundraising events coming up in June. I hope you can join us for at least one of these activities. This email closes with a message from Expansion Committee Chair Paul Mercer emphasizing the urgency of our task.
1. Fundraising Mailing and follow-up Door-to-Door Canvass
Those of you living in Leaside and other neighbourhoods near the arena will recently have received a letter from expansion committee chair Paul Mercer encouraging area residents to make a financial contribution in support of the new arena. To read this letter click here or to view the donor card click here. On Saturday, June 11th between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. we will be conducting a door to door canvass of every home in the area to follow up on that letter with volunteers from the arena board, the LHA, the LSC and the TLGHA. We are grateful for the ongoing support of our local elected representatives and are pleased that Councillor John Parker, MPP Kathleen Wynne and newly-elected MP John Carmichael are all committed to join us with a team of volunteers on June 11th. We still need more people in order to reach every home in the community. If you can help with this, please contact Allan Williams at allan@proximuscanada.com.
2. John Creighton Memorial Event – Thursday, June 2nd
John Creighton was a lifelong Leasider and devoted hockey player, hockey parent, coach and LHA volunteer. When John died suddenly in February, it was a natural decision that donations in his memory should go towards building the second rink at Leaside. A memorial tribute this Thursday night at Originals on Bavyiew aims to raise $25,000 to name one of the dressing rooms in the existing rink in his memory. Tickets are $75 per person and everyone is welcome. See the flyer here.
3. Family Barbecue – Thursday, June 9th
On Thursday, June 9th from 6 – 8 p.m. Rob Tremblett of Tremblett’s Valu-Mart is hosting a Family Barbecue at Canadian Self-Storage, immediately across the road from the arena. Everyone is welcome and all proceeds will go towards the new arena. Click here to view the flyer that has also been distributed throughout the neighbourhood.
4. “There is an urgency here!”
The $9.5 Million Leaside Arena Expansion plan approved by the City of Toronto included our commitment to raise $2.5 Million of the total cost in the local community and from our user groups. And we need to meet this goal by August before putting a shovel in the ground. Expansion Committee Chair Paul Mercer recently emphasized the urgency of our task:
“Twelve years of hoping, dreaming, planning and hard work now gets reduced to the next twelve weeks. Before the end of August we – the local community – need to identify $600,000 to make this second rink a reality. If you or your child or grandchild have had a positive experience at LMCG skating or playing hockey please help extend that opportunity to others by making a donation now. Sixty years ago the Community came together to build this arena for the enjoyment of all. Today we need to build on that legacy and carry on the tradition.” – Paul Mercer, Expansion Committee Chair.
Finally, I can report that work with the architects and with city officials towards finalising the design of the project and securing a contractor with a goal of starting construction in late summer is going well. I will provide an update on this aspect of the project another time. My focus today is on fundraising and I ask again for your help in the weeks ahead to help get us across the goal line!
Sincerely,
Brooke Biscoe,
Chair Leaside Memorial Community Gardens