After being in Innisfail many years, the Innisfail Filipino community has finally organized and is ready to celebrate with a dinner and dance.
The Phil-Can Neighbourhood Association of Innisfail will be celebrating the coming of spring on Saturday, March 22 at the Royal Canadian Legion with “Let's Party”, their official public premiere.
“We are very new,” said Annabelle Danao, treasurer of the association. “In fact, we just received our official incorporation papers as a non-profit group in January. Our first event was supposed to be a Valentine's Day dance but it was booked for the Valentine Gala.”
She added the group is small so far with only 23 members but she expects that number to climb quickly.
“We started out wanting to help in the wake of the Filipinos typhoon disaster around Christmas but could not do what we wanted,” said Danao. “My boss Catherine McMurray of the ATB bank suggested we form a non-profit group so we started the process.”
Danao noted non-Filipinos could also join the fledgling group with anyone of Mexican, Chinese or Canadian descent invited to become involved. “We want to give back to the community. We all started as foreign workers and now are permanent citizens of Canada,” she said.
“Our goal is to help the community of Innisfail,” said Danao. “There are so many ways we can help by volunteering, serving, and helping others in need. We contacted Tammy Oliver-McCurdie at Family Community Support Services and she has been extremely helpful so far.”
Let's Party is the first of many events the Phil-Can Neighbourhood Association will hold, added Danao. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the Innisfail FCSS office, Canadian Pizza, Sunshine Oriental Store, and at the Innisfail Truck Ranch.
