CBS council approves list of donations

By Craig Westcott

CBS council last week approved several of the donations it makes every year to groups and causes.

The biggest recipient will be the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, which is getting $2,500 for its D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in local schools.

“This is a great program” said Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse, who chairs the Town’s finance committee and made the motion to donate the money. “The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary uses those funds to go into the schools and talk about drug awareness to the kids. It’s something that we as council stand behind and are only proud to support.”

Mayor Darrin Bent agreed the program is a good one, noting he has attended several D.A.R.E. graduations.

“It’s just wonderful how the young people are engaged,” he added. “One of the things that the RNC at the events have told me is that people assume that the RNC is paying for all the supplies and all the things that they get for the D.A.R.E. program. The RNC is paying for the staff to do it, but all the things they need to pull it off are funded through donations like this one, and I’m very pleased to be able to support them coming to our elementary schools here in Conception Bay South.”
Council also approved a $1,000 donation to the CBS/Paradise Food Bank.

“It’s a very important service here in the community,” Gosse said.

And finally, council chipped in a $500 cheque to the Conception Bay and Area Chamber of Commerce for its annual golf tournament set for September 12 at The Willows Golf Couse in Holyrood.

Gosse said council likes to support the tournament because the chamber and the business community are very important to the Town.

“This is an opportunity for some of council who will go out and meet up with some of our municipal partners, like our neighbours the Town of Holyrood, the Town of Paradise will be there, we’ll have an opportunity to network and discuss things that are going on in the municipal world while we get to mingle with our local business community and support our Chamber of Commerce,” Gosse said.

Mayor Bent pointed out the event is the chamber’s major fundraiser for the summer. “And it’s great to be able to support them.”