With more than 70 millimetres of rain pouring down, more than 120 Palliser Regional Schools staff gathered in Lethbridge Tuesday for an annual barbecue sponsored by the Board of Trustees and Alberta Teachers' Association Palliser Local 19.
While the cold, wet weather understandably deterred some who'd planned to attend, the Rotary Picnic Shelter in Lethbridge was still full of staff, spouses and families.
Organized by support staff in Central Office, the event has enjoyed sunny and dry weather for several years, giving staff an opportunity to gather for a celebration of the end of another successful school year. A similar event is usually held in Calgary for staff in that area, though this year, the event will be held in the fall.
With rainfall warnings and flood watches across much of southern Alberta, some participants, and even the catering staff from The Keg, thought the event might have to be cancelled.
Instead, there was a stunning turnout given the conditions who came out and made the night a success.
Thank you to the Board of Trustees and Palliser Local 19 for their support of this family event.
Leftover food was contributed to a local food bank and canned pop that could not be returned was donated to Palliser's Adopt-a-Family committee. That committee sells the pop in Central Office and uses the profits to provide grocery gift cards to families in Palliser who need some financial assistance. This Christmas, the committee made up of volunteers from Central Office helped 15 families from across the division, providing $2,700 in grocery gift cards and a small gift for every member of the family, including parents.
In addition to pop and water sales, the committee receives contributions from Central Office staff who participate in casual Fridays as well as other donations through the year.
Thank you to all who came out in the cold and made it such a fun evening.
Barbecue
Sorry there aren't more pictures but the phone was getting kind of wet taking even these!
