Bryerswood reaches $4K goal after Mid-Summer Dinner
- Ron Giofu
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 1
The Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimist Club (BYCOC) held its second annual “Mid-Summer Night Dinner” last week and hit their target.
The BYCOC ended up raising $4,000 from last Wednesday evening’s event at G.L. Heritage Brewing Co. At the end of the night, the fundraising total was $3,727 but a donation late last week brought it up to the BYCOC’s goal of $4,000.
BYCOC vice president Cathy Robertson said they sold 98 tickets to the dinner, which featured the meal provided by the 3 Dog Poutinerie food truck. Don McArthur and Nancy Roy provided the entertainment.
The event drew local politicians and administrators to help the cause, including Essex MPP Anthony Leardi, Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue, Amherstburg Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb, Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy and County of Essex CAO Sandra Zwiers.
“Every dollar from the event will help with the renovations at the activity centre at the camp,” she said. “It’s going to cost a lot.”
Robertson shared that their most recent Ontario Trillium Fund (OTF) grant request did not succeed. Previous OTF grant funding helped renovate the kitchen and washrooms at the activity centre at the Bryerswood Youth Camp.
Robertson stated the rough estimates are between $500,000 to $750,000 to carry out additional activity centre renovations.
“This work would include putting in LED lighting, replacing the soffit material ceiling with a drywall ceiling so that we can install vapour barrier and insulation in the ceiling, seal the mortar cracks in the walls, insulate and vapour barrier the walls, finish the interior walls as they currently are just the cinder blocks, finish the exterior of the building, put drainage tile around the exterior to draw water away from the building, grade the area around the building and put a pad outside for parking, and install a heating source,” she said. “This is very ambitious but necessary to change this building from a seasonal facility into a year-round one.”
The community’s assistance is needed to accomplish this goal, Robertson stated. She added naming rights to the building are available if someone or a company is capable of helping them.
“We use the activity centre for programs for the youth and being able to use it all year would be a tremendous asset for the youth programs,” she said.
Robertson said the BYCOC was happy to see so many people, adding everyone came out to a fundraiser on a Wednesday night.
“We’re just so thrilled for the community’s support,” said Robertson. “We’re blessed.”
For more information, contact the BYCOC at www.bryerswood.com, e-mail info@bryerswood.com or call 519-726-6266. The Bryerswood Youth Camp is located at 6480 Texas Road in Amherstburg.
Bryerswood reaches $4K goal after Mid-Summer Dinner
By Ron Giofu
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