The Mayor of the City of Williams Lake, Walt Cobb, was busy today (February 3) giving out financial help to three organizations.
The Williams Lake Seniors Activity Centre received a cheque for $25,000 for COVID relief which Manager Glenda Winger was super excited to get because their finances were going down slowly.
“The first stage of COVID-19 from March until September when we re-opened we had no finances coming in at all. September when we re-opened we had a few donations from community members. This money will help us now that we’re closed again as we don’t know how long we’re going to be closed”.
Winger said they had applied for COVID Relief grants earlier to help them out before finding out they were getting this money from the City.
“I was super excited. I was watching our finances go down slowly and thinking we need to get back open and do stuff but I knew it wasn’t safe for us to be open. To have the City and the City Council support the Seniors Activity Centre is absolutely wonderful”.
The Williams Lake Stampede Association received $7,500 from the City which President Court Smith said was totally unexpected and that the money will go towards repairs to the Campground Office that was broken into and extensively damaged late last year.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 was also given $7,500 that legion President David Brideau said is earmarked to pay utilities and keep the building open to Veterans to come in if they need any help or assistance.
Brideau added that COVID-19 has also made fundraising impossible which they rely on.
“The biggest struggle that we have right now is we can’t have our regular functions which are big contributing factors to helping our establishment stay open to facilitate the help we can give. Being not able to have that extra little amounts that come in through those small events make it a big struggle for us locally to help out.”
The monies given out are from the City’s portion of the COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant.