City council makes a splash for fundraiser

By Rebecca Rempel

BELLEVILLE,ONT. (06/02/12) - Jodie Jenkins is put to work at Boston Pizza Monday night, Feb. 6. Councillors are the Belleville mayor all appeared as 'celebrity' servers for the Make-A-Splash Campaign fundraiser, which raises money for equipment needed for the new Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. Photo by Rebecca Rempel.

Members of City Council made big waves at Boston Pizza Monday night.

Make-A-Splash campaign hosted a fundraiser night at Boston Pizza in Belleville, Monday, Feb.6.

Ten percent of all sales made between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. went towards the Make-A-Splash Campaign.  In addition to the fundraising, tables were being served by ‘celebrity’ servers throughout the night. Mayor Neil Ellis and Councillors Jodie Jenkins, Pat Culhane and Jack Miller all shadowed a waiter from Boston Pizza and talked to customers.

“Being a waiter, I don’t know if I’ve ever had that on my resume, so it will be nice to have,” said Ellis.

“I’ve had many drinks spilled on me actually. I look forward to spilling water on city hall employees in my section.”

“I haven’t spilled anything,” said Jenkins. “(Mayor Ellis) hasn’t even brought anything to anybody!”

Make-A-Splash is raising money towards pool equipment for the new Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. The centre will be completed in the next few months, and the campaign is reaching close to it’s goal.

Needed equipment includes items such as underwater wheelchairs, spinal boards, lifeguard equipment, a defibrillator, water toys, a slide, starting blocks and a timing system.

Monday night’s event raised $296 through the restaurant and an additional $225 in donations, raising the grand total to $89,282. The goal is to raise $100,000.

“I think the fundraiser went great,” said Sarah Routhier, aquatics coordinator, by e-mail. “Even better than the money raised was getting the word out and being able to talk to people at the new facility.”

The new facility will include a 25-metre pool, a large therapeutic pool and an aquatics play area. Municipal, provincial and federal government funding covered the cost of the building, but funding is needed to provide all the little things that will make the facility a place of enjoyment.

Donations of over $25 will be recognized on the Donor Wall which will be displayed at the aquatics facility as well as the Make-A-Splash campaign page on the Belleville City website.