Rotary District 5370 gave a very special Christmas present to the Jasper Food Bank during the Jasper Seniors' Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday (Dec. 3).
District Governor Brian Edwards presented a $33,250 cheque to the food bank to support its recovery and the increasing food needs of residents following the Jasper wildfire last summer.
“As people of action, we are extremely pleased to have secured this Rotary Disaster Response Grant to help the recovery of the Jasper Food Bank operations at their new location,” Edwards said in a statement.
The wildfire destroyed a third of the townsite, including the building, equipment and supplies of the Jasper Food Bank. Grant funds will help the food bank purchase equipment, and food supplies as well as high-demand, low-availability food and personal hygiene items.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Rotary for their generous support,” said Megan LeBlanc, president of the Jasper Food Bank, in a statement. “This grant will play a significant role in helping us navigate the challenges of relocating after the fire and continuing to provide essential services to our community.”
In addition, the Rotary Club of Jasper donated $4,000 to the Evergreens Foundation, which will go toward a backup generator for the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge.
“The generator is sized to power all 37 units of the lodge, allowing residents to safely remain in their home when recurring power outages take place,” said Libby Weir, co-president of the Rotary Club of Jasper, in an email. “As people of action, Rotary strives to make the world a better place here at home and around the world.”
Hosted annually by Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in collaboration with Rotary, the luncheon celebrated Jasper's seniors with a festive meal. This year’s event brought together seniors from various living arrangements, including those housed in neighbouring towns.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland thanked Rotary and Fairmont for hosting the luncheon, acknowledging it had been a difficult year.
“I thank you for your willingness to get together and share in the camaraderie of the season and instill through all of us that continuing spirit that, in fact, we will get over this by getting through it,” he told attendees.
Ireland also highlighted Rotary’s donation to the food bank, noting more residents were falling through the cracks in the wake of the wildfire.
“It's absolutely necessary that we have the capacity to assist those vulnerable people in our community, and Rotary has stepped up to assist the food bank in doing just that,” he said.
