LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
Join in on an annual dance, complete with a stellar silent auction that will benefit people in need in the community.
The dance will benefit Manna Homeless Society, a non-profit society that supplies food, personal items and emergency supplies to people in Parksville Qualicum Beach.
The adult-only event takes place at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre (PCCC) on Sunday, June 22 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are $15 and go on sale today (June 3) at the PCCC, Practicum of Music and Art at 620 Neden Way in Parksville, and Once Again Fashions in Chilham Village in Qualicum Beach.
Trisha Plunkett has been volunteering with the society for a number of years, dropping by the Manna Van in Parksville on Saturdays to deliver food, supplies and warm hugs. She is organizing the event and will purchase much needed supplies with the proceeds.
“I would like this to be a community effort and I want people to be aware of the situation,” she said. “In Victoria and Vancouver you see (the homeless) and here you don’t, and we as a community should be helping.”
Plunkett said it will be good for the community members to come together in this way, as she said she knows people always want to help but they often don’t know how and what to do.
“This will help our own people and the money definitely goes directly to those people,” she said.
Plunkett raised $1,600 for Manna at a community garage sale last summer and said it was wonderful to be able to use that for local people in need. Her daughter Susanne also bakes and buys items for Plunkett to take to the Manna Van on Saturdays and her granddaug
hter Madison helps her put together items for the van like handmade bags filled with ladies personal items. The event on June 22 will feature musical duo Micheal and Els Schutte. The couple is from Holland, where Michael was in a number of prominent bands for many years and Els taught line dancing. They formed a duo and performed around Europe for 12 years, releasing a number of albums.
Ten years ago they were invited to perform at the Great Canadian Barn Dance in Alberta, their first performance in Canada.
The couple now lives in French Creek where they have an art and music learning centre called Practicum of Music and Art.
If people would like to volunteer to help out the Dance on June 22 or would like to donate a silent auction item please contact Trisha at pplunkett@tcog.ca or call 250-752-3494.
For more on Manna Homeless Society visit www.mannahomelesssociety.com.