Jake and the boys wow crowd

Nothing lasts forever, and that includes the footing of the nearly 100-year-old Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services (LSAS) building, located downtown.

LSAS is hosting a special 40th-anniversary gala at the WLS Convention Centre this Saturday to raise $450,000 to fix the crumbling foundation.

The gala theme is a Night Under the Stars and all proceeds go towards repairing the base of the 1927 community building.

The details behind the repair project were revealed by Heather Sinfield, LSAS community initiatives director during a presentation to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster on Monday.

Facility CEO Tammy Shopland was also on hand.

Sinfield says an inspection last July by Bioclean Disaster Services indicated the foundation was shot and needed to be

“So we are looking at a $450,000 fundraising goal which is very substantial,” said Sinfield.

“I am speaking at Rotary today to bring awareness of that need and how we need to sustain that foundation for another 100 years and keep our services going for our community and surrounding area.”

Sinfield says a new building would likely cost significantly more to move into and create the same type of safe space they have for their clients and partners.

“The soundproofing in the walls and the standards that need to be met with our partnership with the RCMP—there are just a lot of hoops and hurdles to make that happen,” she explained.

“There has been so much love and compassion put into this building already with donations from our community and surrounding area that we want to honour that space.”

LSAS won’t have to close during the repairs either to allow them to maintain their programs and services without a hitch.

Sinfield also says a lot of clients feel so comfortable coming into the space because of its history.

“It would be very challenging to try to recreate that with more than a $450,000 budget,” she told Rotary.

LSAS works primarily with survivors of sexual violence including children, adults, all ethnicities and genders and all levels of income.

“We have a wide variety of programs for specialized police in court, crisis intervention, counselling one-on-one sessions, education and awareness, and group programs,” explained Sinfield.

A police report of the recent sexual assault of a young girl under 10 in Lashburn has brought the issue of sexual violence close to home and the impact LSAS can have on the recovery process.

“I’ve been in the business for over a decade and I’ve witnessed a lot of hope and healing and resilience in children when they are supported by people who love them and have access to services,” said Sinfield.

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