Eight weeks of successful summer camps have come to a close at the Ashcroft HUB, and the organization is looking ahead to some fun fall events, boosted by news of a $50,000 grant from the BC Interior Community Foundation.
The summer camps wrapped up with a carnival on Friday, Aug. 30, with the “carnival kids” showing off the games of chance they had created. An eager throng of children had fun with the games, where they won tickets that could be exchanged for a variety of toys, games, and other items. There was also a bouncy castle, hot dogs and popcorn, and more to celebrate the last day of camp.
“The camps went really well,” says HUB executive director Jessica Clement. “We had three brand new people running them this year, and they did a really great job considering they had never done it before.
“Turnout was a little lower than last year, but we had some kids age out this year. Minecraft Camp and the Crazy Café were the most popular; they both sold out.”
The HUB Society is still waiting to take possession of the building — formerly Ashcroft Elementary School — and property, after reaching an agreement to purchase the site from School District No. 74. Clement explains that the ongoing wildfire situation is preventing them from getting insurance on the building, but in the meantime there are plenty of events being planned.
Starting on Friday, Sept. 6, staff from the HUB will be hiding 50 rubber ducks around Ashcroft, which can be found and exchanged for prizes. A special “golden duck” will net the finder $60 in Ashcroft Bucks, which can be spent at businesses around town.
Clement explains that the ducks will be on public property and most of them will be relatively accessible, although searchers might have to hike a little to find some of them. “They’re all within Village of Ashcroft boundaries: in parks, downtown, on the Mesa, anywhere people can normally walk and that’s accessible all the time outside.”
The HUB will have a booth at the Ashcroft and District Fall Fair on Sept. 8, and anyone who finds a duck before then can exchange it for a prize at the fair. After that, ducks can be brought to the HUB office in order for prizes to be claimed, and Clement says the duck hunt will run until all of them have been found.
This year’s Terry Fox Run starts at the HUB at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, and registration can be done anytime up until the run or on the day. Anyone who wants to do more running around Ashcroft after that can start limbering up for the HUB’s “Amazing Race”, which Clement says will be a mini-version of what you see in the TV show.
“There will be 12 challenges altogether, for up to 10 teams of two people each, and teams need to complete each challenge to move along to the next one and try to win the grand prize. The race will be around Ashcroft, and while the challenges are definitely designed for adults, a teen with an adult could compete.” Teams can sign up at the HUB office; the entry fee is $20 per team.
Coming up on Oct. 16 is a Roaring ’20s Casino Night, which is open to all adults. Tickets ($20 per person) can be purchased in advance or at the door, and will get you some chips for wagering with, as well as a selection of appies; there will also be other paid games, an opportunity to purchase more chips, and a cash bar. Participants are encouraged to put on their best 1920s glad rags and come for a fun night with some amazing prizes to be won.
While there are plenty of special events coming up at the HUB, along with regular activities such as Community Coffee on Mondays and Coffee and a Craft on Tuesdays, it’s not all fun and games for the HUB Society, which is looking ahead to the many capital projects that they will need to tackle once they own the building.
“Our number one priority is replacing and upgrading the HVAC system,” says Clement. “There’s a whole section of the building with no heat and no cooling.”
That is why the HUB is looking for community support. Donations made between now and the end of December 2024 will be matched up to a total of $50,000 thanks to an anonymous donor, with the money raised going into the capital reserve fund. Clement explains that many of the grants available for capital projects would require the HUB to come up with some of the money.
“There’s a federal grant of up to $3 million that we could apply for, but it’s an 80/20 split. We wouldn’t apply for $3 million, but even if we applied for $1 million we’d have to come up with $200,000. Money we receive can be leveraged to help us get these grants.”
On Sept. 2, the BC Interior Community Foundation announced that the HUB was the recipient of a grant of $50,000 to sustain core operations and enhance staff training, which will increase the HUB's overall capacity.
"We spent our $100,000 in savings during COVID to maintain the services we continued to offer, without any income coming in," says Clement. "Most of this money will go back into our savings account, to replenish that. It's the only COVID relief money we've received."
Clement also stresses that “taking over” the building isn’t just for the HUB Society.
“It means the community is taking it over. It’s the community’s building, and we want to make sure we’re serving the community the way they need and want to be served. We want them to have buy-in, and a sense of ownership of the building.”
Tax receipts will be issued for all donations. To donate to the Ashcroft HUB Society, go to https://bit.ly/3ANtmg7.
