 Contributed by Tobbi Gjelsvik This past Friday night the curling rink was hopping with the many, many friends of the Wildlife Shelter. We had 250 people rocking to the music of Stuart “Elvis” Macleod. The show consisted of 4 sets of “Elvis” music, including all those great hits that made the “King” famous. From the 50's, 60's and the 70's, Stuart belted those hits out to the sold out crowd. Watching him perform is a lesson in endurance, as these musical sets of snarling lips and swiveling hips, coupled with costume changes and a bucket of sweat, show you he loves what he does. Stuart has been entertaining crowds with the “Tribute to the King” show for over 15 years now and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. The show was great and having him in town to join in and provide the music in conjunction with our Wildlife Shelter Fundraiser was the icing on the cake. Our main purpose on the night was of course to help the Golinia's and the work of their Wildlife Shelter. Our committee was amazed with the support that was given to the shelter wherever we went. The event tickets sold themselves and we could have sold even more. But the array of donated prizes from our community was overwhelming. To the many auction and raffle prizes the list was being added onto up to the day of the fundraiser. There were so many we couldn't name them all, but we thank them wholeheartedly on behalf of the Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter. We thank the Service Clubs that were in attendance and donated on the night. The Elks Lodge No. 342 and the Ladies of the Royal Purple No. 8, had donations amounting to $3,000.00 and were presented by Joyce and Archie Moffatt. The Moffatt's have been staunch supporters of the shelter for many years, with Archie being the Founding Chairman of the Shelter and he still remains in the chair to this day. We also want to mention the contributions of Vin & Peter Finnigan, who continue to support the shelter in so many ways. Beautiful Wildlife Christmas cards are done by Peter and donated to the Shelter year after year, as well as, since the shelters inception, the Finnegan's have been Advisory Board Members. Legion Branch No. 27 was represented by Hazel Bott, who presented $3,000.00 on behalf of the branch, while Dadye Schwab presented $500.00 on behalf of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary. We were very saddened to hear about Mike Schwab's passing on Oct 9th. Both Mike and Dadye have been Advisory Board Members for the Shelter since it was formed. Mike always had the shelter's well being in his heart, as he always found so many ways to help the shelter. We will all miss him. Manny Richards then made a presentation of $1,000.00 on behalf of the Moose Lodge. We also wish to mention last months passing of Jim Tubb. Jim was a tireless worker and volunteer for the Moose Lodge and we extend our condolences to his family. He was also a strong supporter of the shelter and another shining example of a member who gave his all for his organization. These Service Clubs continue to give, not just to the shelter, but to many, many other worthwhile groups and organizations in our community. They provide those much-needed funds to these groups and we would be lost without their continuing support. Cheque donations were also received from: Shutter Shack, Bill Smith (in memory of his squirrel from Dodge Cove), Anne & Dave Littlewood, Royal Bank, Finex PM Security, Trayling's Tackle Shop, Acklands-Grainger & Overwaitea, City West employees, District of Port Edward, Ridley Terminals, Skeena Taxi, Prince Rupert Vet Hospital, Cheryl Leask & Korn Langthorne, Mel & Heather Bishop, Dave & Laura Walker and Pat Gjelsvik. Special mention to Weggie Huskins, (The Beast from the East) who gave us the shirt off his back, (An Elvis collectable), which was subsequently sold and netted $60.00 for the shelter! Special thanks to Kelly, Pat, Shirley, Michelin, Linda, Lexi, Bruce and Keith! We were very appreciative to have Nancy & Gunther Golinia attend on the night and be part of the festivities. It is tough to get them away from the caring of their animals, but there they were. We thank them for all their good work for the animals and our community. People such as the Golinia's are rare indeed. They give so much of themselves to the work of the Shelter and to be able to provide that help to “all those wild creatures great and small. They respond to any and all calls 24/7 and provide so many services with regards to caring of animals. Their total caseload is Approx. 700 wild animals, birds and domestic pets per year. With the help of, Rosa, Bernie, Jamie and Suzi, AKA the Friends of the Wildlife Committee and all those others that donated their time for this event, together with all those that attended the fundraiser, we topped $15,000.00 on the night. It was much more than we had expected, but the big winners at the end of it all, are the animals that come under the care of the Golinia's and the Wildlife Shelter. We couldn't have done it without everyone's support and we thank you.
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