Community Links celebrated its 40-year anniversary with a 1980s-themed birthday party at Nose Creek Regional Park on Aug. 26, featuring freshly grilled burgers courtesy of Mr. Mikes, free cupcakes, and special guest speakers and performers.
The event was also host to a special cheque presentation thanks to Westmark Holdings – a local home developer. The developer’s owner and manager, Paul Gerla, provided the non-profit organization with a donation of $10,000 that evening.
According to Brenda Hume, executive director of Community Links, Westmark Holdings has supported the local charity for more than 20 years.
“They are an amazing long-term supporter for us, and they definitely provide their support for families that we work with,” she said. “And so, it’s always been a huge, wonderful thing they do to help us make a difference for families.”
Hume said in previous years, money donated from the company has been used toward parenting support, one-on-one support, parent consultations, as well as programming. Altogether, the funds have gone a long way to help the agency support local families.
She added with the new donation, the money will be used to continue to provide social services and programming for families in Airdrie and surrounding northeast Rocky View County communities.
"We do a lot of fundraising every year to support our programs and so it provides a good basis of sustainability for our programs,” she said. “A lot of families will benefit from that [donation.]”
As to the success of the birthday bash, Hume said the turnout was amazing and volunteers divvied out 234 hamburgers. She estimates there were approximately 240 people in attendance and a lot of families.
“I saw them playing with the games and we had Mr. Mikes there making the hamburgers and donating the hamburgers,” she said. “We had music by Steve Jevne and lots of cupcakes – just a lot of gathering of people and chatting and interacting – just having a lot of fun.”
Hume added she is more than pleased with the turnout for the event.
“We are very thankful for the community and all the support that we get from donors and community members and their partners,” she said. “It just really helps us for sure.”
