Groups and individuals came out in force Saturday morning for the 3rd annual Castlegar-Selkirk Lion's Club Move-A-Thon at the Castlegar Community Complex. People mostly skated, while a few walked, all had a great time for a great cause.
"Columbia Power Corporation has sponsored the event and paid for the ice and we are the hosts with Special Olympics are our partner this year," said Joanne Baker, secretary for the Castlegar-Selkirk Lions Club and Move-A-Thon chair. "So groups went out and got pledges. Half the money goes to the charity of their choice and half the money goes to Castlegar Special Olympics."
There were five different groups involved including Castlegar Special Olympics, Castlegar Figure Skating Club, who were all dressed up in various costumes, and the Miss Castlegar candidates. The event raised over $4,000 for several charities around the region.
"The figure skating club put that extra little bit into it," said Baker. "They challenged their members to either dress up and gave out individual prizes at their own time."
The lion's took over the event a few years back from the United Way and Baker says it's always one of the highlights for them and the members of the community who come out every year including local MLA Katrine Conroy."It's just a really good opportunity for groups in the community to come out and fundraise without any expense or any work really," said Baker. "It's gone very well. We're very happy with it. When the United Way stopped doing it, it was a big loss for these groups' fundraising efforts. So we took over the Move-A-Thon and it's been great."