Two St. Albert community organizations got their requests for funding from city council to host their annual events this year.
On May 17, St. Albert city council allocated $10,000 from the community grant program, with $5,000 going to the Jukebox Saturday Night Association to host the the Rock'n August celebration parade, and $5,000 to the Outloud Foundation for the St. Albert Pride Parade. The two recommendations came from the city's community living standing committee.
Rock'n August organizers will use the funds to mark the event's 25th anniversary of showcasing classic cars in St. Albert. They received their full request for the event running from August 3 to August 7, though organizers are still working out what will be possible under health restrictions at that time, said Greg Charters, president of Rock'n August.
"I think we're probably going to go with a program that follows a similar format to last year," he said. Instead of a full-fledged parade last year, Rock'n August took a different route with two informal cruises through the city over two nights. Either way, this year's event will be one to remember, he said.
"The 25th anniversary is a really big deal. There are not very many events that reach a 25th anniversary, and we want to keep this one going and celebrate the 25th in the best way that we can," Charters said.
Rock'n August isn't only about showcasing classic cars, but it's also a way to raise money for diabetes research. Charters said there will be a car lottery for a 1969 Camaro Convertible that week, and organizers are also putting a book together documenting a detailed history of Rock'n August over the last 25 years.
The city's pride parade also received their full request for funding. Because the 2020 Pride Festival was cancelled outright due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Outloud founder Terry Soetaert told the Gazette he expects a crowd of over 1,500 to enjoy this year's event, set for Sept. 18 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Rotary Park.
Before that happens, June will be proclaimed Pride Month with a flag-raising at St. Albert City Hall on June 1. Outloud St. Albert, with city volunteers, have also repainted the colourful crosswalk outside St. Albert Place.
During a committee meeting on May 10, community services advisory committee member Lorraine Gerling said both organizers are "committed" to making the events happen safely.
"Right now they've got a good plan depending on what will happen. The hope, of course, is by those event times things will be a bit less restrictive," she said.
Council approved both requests on consent.
$84K in total grants
St. Albert council approved $74,419 in funding to four community organizations on May 17 from the city's community capital grant program.
The Kinsmen Club of St. Albert received their full ask of $41,250 to make improvements to the Kinsmen Banquet Centre and RV Park. The Kinsmen Club asked for the money to offset costs from security system and safety upgrades at the Banquet Centre, and upgrades to the RV Park's storage shed, park office, and about 20 stalls. Total cost for the project is $125,001.
The Muriel Martin Fundraising Society, which raises money for projects in and around Muriel Martin Elementary school, received $2,661 to help with the replacement of the school's spiderweb playground equipment. The base of the playground climber is solid, but the ropes making up the web are in need of a full replacement. The project is expected to cost $7,984 in total.
The St. Albert Soccer Association (SASA) got their full request of $27,847 to upgrade the infrastructure at Riel Fields to meet league requirements for the association's new Pro-am women's soccer franchise. This news broke last January when the United Women’s Soccer (UWS) announced that SASA had become the group's newest franchise holder. The project includes bleachers, a scoreboard, and top dressing and additional seeding for the field. Total project budget is $83,541.
The Wild Rose Parents Society also received their request for $2,661 to replace the spiderweb playground climber at Wild Rose Elementary. Like Muriel Martin, the equipment is in need of a full replacement. The total cost of the project is estimated at $7,984.
–with files from Lucy Haines
