2 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Haying in the 30s gets $40,000 boost from St. Michael BY JOHN MATHER It had been two years since there were community activities in the St. Michael Community Hall but on Apr. 9 more than 300 guests arrived to enjoy the Haying in the 30s community auction to raise funds for cancer victims. By the time all the donations had been counted up more than $40,000 had been raised. “We’ve made over 3,500 perogies and we have a complete program for the evening,” said local organizer Mae Adamyk. She said while there had been a couple of previous events at the hall recently, it “is a great feeling to have people and noise in this building again.” Martin Neundorff spoke about the background of the Haying in the 30s, a program that began in 1999 and still continues in Mallaig each summer.
“Haying in the 30’s is a one of a kind organization,” he said. “It is run strictly by volunteers. “We have no officers, no staff and pay no salaries,” he stated. “One hundred per cent of your donations go entirely to the victims of cancer.” He said there was a volunteer board of 14 people and for their annual fundraiser they got 300 volunteers to help out. It is held July 30 and 31 in Mallaig. The day features demonstrations of farming as it took place during the depression era. “Its success relies on all of us, and it is successful because of people like you,” Neundorff said. “Because of Covid, the past two years have been a struggle. But we have still been able to provide assistance to 747 cancer victims.” In 22 years, he added, assistance has been pro-
vided to 6,700 cancer victims and $5,600,000 has been raised. “I can assure you as a result of your fundraising this evening there will be a grateful person, a grateful family, who will struggle a little less because of your kindness.” And then donations started rolling in. Stella Stevens from CFCW brought a cheque for $1,000. A representative from Alberta Floor Curling Association in Northern Alberta gave a cheque for $5,000. Chris Klita from the St. Michael Agricultural Society told the crowd it was 15 years they had hosted Haying in the 30’s and then donated $2,000 from the Skaro District Community Society, which is connected to the Knights of Columbus. And then the Lions Clubs from around the area including Chipman, Andrew and Lamont
donated amounts totalling $1,300. Lamont County also donated $500. Other organizations and families kept adding to the total donated. “We are the largest fundraiser for the program outside of the Mallaig event,” said Adamyk. After all the auction items and cheques had been totalled up, more than
$40,000 was raised for the program Saturday evening. One of the more memorable moments was when the 50-50 draw was held. The winner, Jen Palmer, from Calgary won $1,055 and she, in turn, donated it all to Haying in the 30’s. Originally from Strathcona, she had come back to the area to
visit her cousin and ended up at the event selling pull tickets as a volunteer. “I spent $20 on the 5050 tickets and when I won I had been looking for a way to help out the cause,” she said. “I had purchased a couple of small items, but when I won I figured it was found money, so I gave it back.”
Haying in the 30s organizer Martin Neundorff shows emotion as he explains the program to the crowd at the Haying in the 30s auction event at the St. Michael Hall Apr. 9, while local St. Michael Hall organizer Mae Adamyk watches on. The auction event raised more than $40,000 for the program.
