By Dominic Abassi

Serauxmen Club celebrates 50 years in Nanaimo

Oct 6, 2017 | 5:45 PM

NANAIMO — From raising barely $100 at their first fundraiser to having their name on an iconic piece of infrastructure, a Nanaimo service club has ingrained themselves in the community over the last half-century.

The Serauxmen Service Club celebrated their 50th anniversary this month. The City of Nanaimo declared Oct. 2-6 Serauxmen Week and members from the club were introduced in the legislature on Oct. 3.

Over the last 50 years the men’s service club, currently standing at 38 members, has raised more than $2 million for Nanaimo organizations. Their beneficiaries include families, charities, non-profits and sports groups.

Lee Odgers, who has been a member on and off for more than 20 years, said their club’s mandate is to help people in Nanaimo that may have fallen through the cracks. He said the club started with a group of young men who felt a bit like outsiders.

“They didn’t feel they fit in with some of the other service clubs with their age factor…They started with a car wash at the Tally Ho parking lot, raising $147 for the Nanaimo community. From there it just kept snowballing.”

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Serauxmen Stadium stands as the group’s “most visible legacy,” Odgers said. Officially opened in 1967 by Mickey Mantle, the stadium came together thanks to the drive of the club. That drive also included financial contributions and countless hours of volunteer labour.

Odgers said he’s been involved in many other fundraising efforts within the community but the Serauxmen group has a different feel to it. “What I love about the Serauxmen is we have no red tape. We’re only accountable to the people around the table and we can very quickly disperse funds to needy people in our community. All the money we raise here stays here.”

Annual Serauxmen events include a golf tournament, Halloween dance and fishing derby.

Odgers admitted raising money in a community like Nanaimo is rarely a painful experience. “There’s so much support, people wanting to give back in any way they can. It’s a phenomenal community and I’m proud to have lived here all my life.”

Over the last year, the club has donated nearly $20,000 to groups like Nanaimo Unique Kids Organization, Nanaimo Brain Injury Society and the child development centre.

Odgers said the next step for the club is recruiting some young blood to ensure they will survive for another 50 years. The group meets twice a month at the minor hockey office in the Ice Centre.

More information can be found on their website.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi