BONNYVILLE – The Clayton Bellamy Foundation for the Arts is hosting its third annual Gala and Golf event on Aug. 29 and 30 to raise funds for arts initiatives in the Lakeland region.
Proceeds from the two-day event will help support the foundation’s programming, which includes annual bursaries supporting students studying the arts, said Clayton Bellamy, founder and president of the Clayton Bellamy Foundation.
Some of the funds will also help with ongoing costs related to the newly opened Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, including staffing, summer programs, and "to help bring arts education into our schools in the Lakeland," Bellamy explained.
"This is something that is going to refect for generations in our area, and we want to be the shining light for the arts in northern Alberta," he added.
Supporting the arts is important because it helps build stronger communities and gives young people opportunities to grow, Bellamy said. The arts create spaces for people to meet their neighbours, their family, their friends, and spend time together, while feeling part of something shared.
“Arts is about connection,” he said.
Bellamy believes supporting the arts helps provide space and opportunity for youth who are passionate about the arts. Every individual has different interests, explained Bellamy.
“We need to have a safe space for kids who are into the arts to be able to thrive and prosper, not only in this community, but out in the world to find themselves."
The gala will take place at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre on Aug. 29. It will feature performances from celebrities including Brad Mates of Emerson Drive, Patricia Conroy, Duane Steele, and Elliot Niven. Danny Hooper will serve as host and auctioneer.
CFL and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee Gizmo Williams will also be present at the event.
On Aug. 30, the golf tournament will be held at the Bonnyville Golf and Country Club. Participants will have a chance to win various prizes, including a $1 million hole-in-one challenge sponsored by Northern Truck Industrial Supply. Twenty golfers will be selected through a draw to attempt the shot.
Additional prizes could include a side-by-side ATV from 54 North Powersports and vehicles from Ducharme Motors, Tercier Motors, and Bonnyville Chrysler.
Celebrity guests and local sponsors will also be part of the tournament.
Tickets are available online and in person at Tellier Guardian Pharmacy in Bonnyville. Single tickets for the gala and team spots for the golf tournament remain open to the public.
