This weekend, Ducks Unlimited Canada celebrated their three decades in Prince George and did so with a financial bang.
During their Las Vegas-themed 30th anniversary banquet Friday night, 250 guests raised more than $70,000 for wetland conservation.
"It was a great night out," said chairperson Jasmine Ferris. "People were striking up friendships and swapping stories."
The banquet guests enjoyed a meal and participated in auctions and games of chance.
"Most attendees are people who really appreciate the natural beauty of wetlands and recognized the value that wetlands have. We're heavily attended by outdoor enthusiasts who are concerned about the depletion of our natural resources," Ferris said.
According to the chairperson, those in attendance did so to give something back to nature. Revenue from the evening is invested in habitat conservation, research and education.
The Prince George chapter of Ducks Unlimited alone has raised more than $1.6 million for wetland maintenance and preservation in northern B.C. This covers 42 projects and more than 6,207 acres of secured habitat.
The national organization has been committed to wetland conservation for 70 years. Ducks Unlimited Canada's conservation efforts take many forms including on-the-ground work guided by the wetland and waterfowl research of the non-profit organization's scientists. They also deliver wetland and environmental education programs to teach Canadians how to conserve.
Prince George is home to the second banquet in the province started by local businesspersons and that support continued with more than 100 area businesses who contributed to fundraiser as sponsors or by donating prizes for the auction. This year, the event was run by Jasmine Ferris, John and Jan Simkins, Sandra Hooge, Randy Seabrook, Jane Adamick, Lucia Van Hage, Josh Benham, Luke Lapp, Marielle Castets, Sam Batarseh, Michael Surbey, Cathy Huber, Dawn Hansen, Rietta Szostek and Matt Dyson.
