It really was a team effort
I read the recent letter in the Tri-County Vanguard from Martha Cassidy and although I want to say thank you for the very kind words, I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to further explain how Skate Yarmouth was so successful.
First, even though Gil Dares and I were at the forefront of the path to securing the Mariners Centre, Skate Yarmouth was mainly successful due to the hard work of so many people and organizations. Skate Yarmouth
was blessed with having a core of committed people who all shared the same dream and worked tirelessly for over five years to see the project through to its success.
Secondly was the support of the community as a whole and its organizations such as Yarmouth Minor Hockey, the Yarmouth Figure Skating Club, Gentlemen's Hockey, the Arena Commission, the Agricultural Society and others (I may have inadvertently left some out, but, please bear with me as it has been nearly 20 years).
Gil Dares, who was Skate Yarmouth's fundraising chairperson, while performing many other duties, was key in orchestrating our successful fundraising campaign – but, even that was done through a total team effort. When the time came to support the project financially the community stepped up to the plate and delivered, as can be seen when one enters the Mariners Centre and sees the long list of donors on the wall and the names on the dressing rooms and community rooms.
Yes, Skate Yarmouth had its challenges as we had to overcome past failures; we needed to bring organizations together that were not used to working together, as well as convincing all three levels of government to come on side and commit funds. But once everyone saw how much a new facility would bring to our great community for years to come, and the benefits to the youth, everyone began working together for the better good and success occurred in the form of a new multi-purpose facility that was the envy of other communities in Nova Scotia.
It’s been many years since the Mariners Centre officially opened in 2001. I want to thank everyone once again for their commitment to see the project through, especially the hard-working Skate Yarmouth members.
Freeman Libby, Yarmouth