For the folks behind the Ponoka Arts, Recreation, and Culture Society (PARCS), the focus is on community building.
Having launched in 2016, PARCS has raised more than $240,000 to enhance the town in a range of ways, said Bruce Clarke, the group’s director.
“We’ve all grown up in the community — some of us have left and have come back,” he explained, referring to what drives the group to support a stream of projects.
“Now, we all want to give back to the community. We also know that municipalities these days struggle to help keep their facilities current and up-to-date,” he said.
“So that is really what we are here for.”
And the vision has been catching on — they landed charitable status in 2018.
According to their website, PARCS was initially established as a fundraising arm of the Town of Ponoka Recreation Committee to raise funds for arts, cultural, and recreation facilities;
But as Clarke explained, the founding committee soon determined it would be advantageous to be a completely independent organization.
Obtaining society status means all funds raised remain under the control of PARCS to build or renovate arts, cultural, and recreational facilities in Ponoka and Ponoka County.
“Our funding journey showcases a broad base of support, with notable efforts like the 2021 Jail and Bail event by ATB raising over $60,000, and contributions from the local Community Market surpassing $30,000,” he said.
“The community’s golf enthusiasts and generous local businesses and individuals have also played significant roles, pushing our collective contributions well past $200,000,” he said, adding that the group has also held a few St. Patrick’s Day dances over the years as well.
Clarke said a key focus for PARCS is the eventual construction of a field house, which would offer a year-round space for field sports and also become a hub for local sporting activities.
To that end, he said in terms of fundraising, PARCS has adopted a strategic annual spending policy.
This policy outlines a commitment to allocate the greater of 3.5 percent of PARCS’ asset base or 20 percent of unrestricted annual fundraising to community programs, with the option to exceed this through board discretion.
“It’s a forward-thinking approach designed to balance impactful community support today with the financial stability needed to undertake major projects tomorrow.
“So we have a short-term spending strategy and a long-term spending strategy. For the short-term, we are always looking for facilities to build,” he said.
“To reach our fundraising target for this and other projects, we’re broadening our efforts to include planned giving — an opportunity for community members to make lasting contributions through their estates.”
He also pointed out that support from the provincial and federal levels of government has decreased over the years, so focusing on bolstered support on the local level is all the more essential.
Clarke noted the pandemic certainly impacted fundraising efforts, but said that currently, the group is excited to be getting back into fundraising mode to see further projects come to fruition.
“We are working on making our organization a little more familiar, and we are also looking for some philanthropy and legacy donations,” said Clarke.
“We meet once a month at either the Rising Sun Clubhouse, or Roland, Parker, and Associates Accounting, and as we develop fundraisers we meet more frequently,” he said.
Those interested in dropping by a meeting should check the website or Facebook page to confirm meeting times, he said, adding that anyone is welcome to join the group.
“Our website also has an application for anyone interested.”
He added that it would be good to see more youth join the organization, too.
“Ultimately, it’s going to be their children who will benefit from all of this as well.”
For more about PARCS, visit parcsociety.ca, or find them on Facebook.