Habitat for Humanity annual event has new day, location

Habitat for Humanity’s Family Fun Day is on a new day and at a new location this year.

The past two years, the local chapter of the organization has hosted their event on Family Day at the Sports Dome. After hearing from many families that they don’t get the day off work, Habitat for Humanity Thunder Bay CEO Diane Mitchell said they decided to host the day on Saturday, Feb. 19 this year.

The new location is the CLE Coliseum.

“We decided to go for a little more intimate location and have some more fun and change it up a little bit so it’s exciting and new for families this year,” Mitchell said.

While the venue is smaller in size this year, the event will still have the same activities for families to enjoy, including bouncy castles, dance contests, clowns and magicians, live entertainment, arts and crafts and more interactive game and activities.

Habitat for Humanity is also moving the date of the draw of its $100,000 raffle from the usual Family Fun Day to May 7 because of slow ticket sales.

Mitchell said they wanted the extension for the raffle to sell more tickets to raise money to purchase land this year.

“So we’re able to help the 10 families we have on the waiting list and be able to get them into houses,” she said. “We need land.”

All proceeds from Family Fun Day and the raffle go into the charity’s land pool this year.
On the agenda for Habitat for Humanity this year in Thunder Bay is to build one house because most of their money for the year will be spent on purchasing the land needed to build the house.

Family Fun Day begins at the CLE Coliseum this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for families of up to six people.