Civic Centre to live on someone’s backyard

An iconic local structure has served as the inspiration for the grand prize of a local fundraising activity. The 4-H Council of Saskatchewan is once again holding its annual lottery and this year the grand prize is a playhouse that is modelled after the Civic Centre. The winner will also receive framed, autographed hockey cards that feature all of the former Moose Jaw Warriors players who have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, a list that includes Theoren Fleury, Kelly Buchberger, Mike Keane, Lyle Odelein and Johnny Boychuck. The project was done with the partnership of Yara, Peavey Mart, and woodworking students at Peacock Collegiate. The Civic Centre model was conceived by Peacock teacher Lonny Holmes, who said it took several months of hard work to complete. He said the kids enjoyed working on the project and are excited to see the finished product. Certainly, it was worth the effort. “I know it was a challenge for the woodworking students,” said Paul Sinkewicz, communications co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan 4-H Council. “I don’t know how you take on a project like this and make it come out looking so good.” “The roof was a bit of a time consumer, just making sure that it would work,” added Holmes. The students actually got to go out and measure the Civic Centre and then adjusted the finished project so that it is at 1/20 scale. Even the colour of paint used is accurate. The prize would certainly be perfect for kids to play in and would also be an ideal keepsake for hockey fans or even local history buffs who want to preserve a part of the city’s history. Holmes chose the Civic Centre because he loves hockey and the Warriors. He said he wanted to do something to preserve the award-winning building because he knew that it would be demolished. Holmes said for future lotteries he would like to model other playhouses on other significant buildings that are located throughout the province. Sponsors donated all of the prizes for the lottery and Yara assumed the costs for printing the tickets and posters, which is a benefit to the organization and its members. “There’s no cost to 4-H for the prizes or to run the lottery, so 100 per cent of the money that is raised goes to the 4-H kids,” said Sinkewicz. The money is distributed to clubs throughout the province. Sinkewicz said there are more than 3,000 members spread across over 200 different clubs in Saskatchewan. The money raised will be spent in a variety of ways, and Sinkewicz said it depends on the needs of each individual club. Some ways the funds might be spent include travelling to something like a horse show or even bringing in an expert to hold a clinic. “This helps 4-H Saskatchewan because we can help even more kids in the smaller clubs that may only have four members and are in a very small town in Saskatchewan. They need support,” said Sinkewicz. Other prizes include Peavey Mart gift cards, a John Deere garden tractor, and a trip for two to Jasper from Via Rail. The draw date is July 11. The playhouse and the hockey cards are on display at Peavey Mart, located at 23 Thatcher Dr. E. Tickets are two for $5 and can be purchased at Peavey Mart, through participating 4-H clubs, or from the provincial office of the Saskatchewan 4-H Council. For more information, visit www.4-h.sk.ca.