Local residents will have some opportunities during Spring Fling this Friday to help out former Olds resident Danielle Lappage who is preparing to compete in the Rio Olympics this summer.
Lappage, a female wrestler, qualified for the Olympics during a meet near Edmonton this past December. She will be the first-ever Spring Fling ambassador.
Spring Fling, which takes place Friday, April 8, 7 p.m. at the Cow Palace, is a kind of community party/multi-group fundraiser celebrating the arrival of spring.
Patrons vote for any one of four local causes. The one receiving the most votes will receive 50 per cent of the proceeds. The remaining funds are split between the other three causes. Tickets are $75 each. Fun drinks and fancy hotdogs will be available.
Late last week, Spring Fling co-chair Hugh Bodmer said organizers were still working out precisely what Lappage will do in her role as Spring Fling ambassador, but he said some decisions have been made.
She's expected to arrive at the Cow Palace at about 8 p.m. because she trains in Calgary until about 6:30 p.m. that day.
“She'll be formally introduced and she will be given the opportunity to talk a bit about herself, Bodmer said.
At some point during the evening, representatives of Olds High School are expected to present Lappage with a cheque.
However, Bodmer stressed the event is not a fundraiser for Lappage per se.
The focus is still on the four charities chosen this year to split Spring Fling proceeds: the Chinook Arch Victims Services compassion dog; the Olds Gymnastics Club, which hopes to obtain a spring floor to improve safety for club members; a project to expand the Holy Trinity School playground; and Hope4MVCKids, which, when all other sources of funding fail, provides assistance to families whose children require medical help.
Bodmer said another plan is to present Lappage with a flag bearing the Spring Fling logo. People attending the event will have an opportunity to sign that flag.
“It's something that she can pack up and take in her suitcase and maybe put up in her room or something,” he said.
Earlier this year, Lappage applied to be one of the four charities to receive funds from Spring Fling.
Bodmer said committee members were very impressed with her presentation and really wanted to do something for her, but she didn't fit the committee's criteria. That's why the idea to make her a Spring Fling ambassador came up.
“She is just an unbelievable interview. She handles herself so well. She would be a remarkable ambassador for the community of Olds, just remarkable. She just blew us away with her presentation,” he said.
“She is a project, but it's not a bricks and mortar type of thing; it's to fund general revenue almost for her, and that's not what we're about.”
"She is just an unbelievable interview. She handles herself so well. She would be a remarkable ambassador for the community of Olds, just remarkable."HUGH BODMER CO-CHAIR SPRING FLING ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
