The Parksville Lawn Bowling Club welcomed members new and old as it celebrated its 20th anniversary this past weekend.
The weather couldn’t have been better as the skies cleared up and the sun was shining bright while Parksville Mayor Marc Lefebvre rolled out the ceremonial first bowl to kick off the 2015 season.
Club President Alan Brunskill gave opening remarks, welcoming bowlers and spectators to the special event.
The club became a reality in 1995 after five years of planning, fundraising and volunteer labour to get the facility ready for play. Special mention was made of the “Fantastic Four” whose dream it was to build a lawn bowling club in Parksville: Bob and Betty Benton, David Cross and George Richardson.
Richardson, 98 years young, who was the club’s first treasurer and designer of the Brandt goose logo that is synonymous with the Parksville club, was in attendance for the afternoon social.
Coming from the early days, when the clubhouse was just a dream and had a few picnic tables under a plastic tarp that served as a rudimentary shelter, the club has grown to double its size in members and boasts a large and modern clubhouse, storage and equipment sheds, a beautifully landscaped space, plus ample parking and great places to view tournament play.