THUNDER BAY – When Linda Bruins was told funding had been cut off by the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administrative Board to help keep Evergreen, A United Neighbourhood operational, she worried she might have to close the organization’s doors.
She’s a little less worried as 2020 approaches.
Bruins on Thursday said she’s hopeful the 11-year-old grassroots organization will be able to raise a good chunk of the costs needed to run Evergreen each year, thanks to a fundraiser slated for Friday night at the CLE Coliseum.
The event, called 4Evergreen, has been pulled together over the course of the past six weeks and features plenty of entertainment, including comedians and belly dancers, as well as headliners, The Gin Tonics.
“It’s fantastic,” Bruins said. “It’s actually a bargain for $20. Plus it’s a fundraiser. We’re facing a tight, tight budget in the year ahead. We believe in the work. We believe in the kids in this neighbourhood and we really have to keep the doors open.
“And we’re going to have a lot of fun.”
The organization is a drop-in site for youth, located on Heron Street.
It opened in 2008 in the former Hells Angels clubhouse, two years after the notorious biker gang were decimated in the city by a police raid.
Bruins said the fundraiser, open to anyone 19 and older, is a great Christmas gift and will be full of holiday cheer.
“The big guy will be there. We’ve got a photo booth and we’ve got excellent prizes. The community has showered us with gifts for the baskets. We’ll have a 50-50 and it will be a night to remember.”
Bruins said she hopes the event will raise $10,000 or more.
“If we get to $20,000, you’ll see me cry,” she said.
Tickets are available in advance for $20 at Blue Door Bistro, Eat Local Pizza, Dulux Paints and Beefcake’s Burger Factory.
They’re also available online at through the Evergreen website and can be purchased at the door, for $25.
