Mayor to be roasted for a good cause

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This article was published 18/10/2023 (1064 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tickets are selling out as the John Howard Society’s “crossing the line” fundraising event draws closer.

The fundraiser, which will feature a comedy roast of Mayor Jeff Fawcett, a live auction, a dunk tank and 50/50 draw, is set to take place on Nov. 16 at the Victoria Inn. The event is an effort to raise funds for JHS’s transitional housing facility and JHS executive director, Ross Robinson, says that tickets are selling out quickly.

“So, if [community members] want to be involved, we’d like them to purchase now,” Robinson told the Sun.

The 24-unit transitional housing facility will provide accommodation for three-month stays for individuals transitioning out of shelters or institutions and offer eight suites which will allow for year-long stays. While the project has received government funding, Robinson says that the project is still about $1 million short.

“The project itself gives an opportunity to elevate people from their position of homelessness to back into the life that they aspire to,” Robinson said. “Transitional housing is a place of action, a place of development, and it’s a safe place for people to recoup, recover and move on.”

Though$1 million is an ambitious number for a fundraiser event, Robinson hopes that the community will take the opportunity to contribute to the project and enjoy a night of laughs and fun.

“We just want to make it a really fun, memorable event for everybody,” Robinson said, adding that with progressive 50/50 draw entries priced at $5 to a $100 ticket to the event, the fundraiser provides many options for contributing to the cause.

“It gives everybody a chance to participate at any level,” Robinson said.

The executive director also reassured the community that even if the fundraiser does not meet the $1-million goal, the project will still move ahead.

“There might be adjustments made to the plans as we’re moving along, [but] it’s going to be done. We’re so close, nothing’s going to get in our way,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fawcett fully supports the fundraiser, even if he’ll be the subject of a roast that evening next month.

“I liked the idea that the community groups sort of said, that you know what, we can try to raise some private money to help get this over the line,” Fawcett told the Sun in an interview. “And I thought, well, if I can help …”

Fawcett said that the transitional housing project is “a really important thing for the community” that can “touch everybody within one or two degrees of separation.”

Meanwhile Robinson gave some teasers as to which community figures will be in the dunk tank, including Brandon University president David Docherty, and who will be doing the roasting of the mayor, including Coun. Kris Desjarlais.

Tickets for the event, which will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Victoria Inn, are $100 and can be purchased online at crossingtheline.ca. Progressive 50/50 draw tickets are $5 and are available for purchase until Oct. 31 at midnight.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com, with files from Colin Slark

» X: @geena_mortfield

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» X: @ColinSlark