While the Parksville Beach Festival Society members work year round to create the ever popular summer events alongside beautiful Parksville beach, this is their most favourite time of year when they share gate donations with the Volunteer Gate Ambassadors
In a public presentation, October 13, 2023, at City Hall with Parksville City Mayor and Council and Beach Festival Society board members presented twenty-four (24) philanthropic groups with donation cheques that together totaled $79,800. This is a record-breaking giveaway as this is the most funds they have donated to the gate ambassadors. These volunteers greeted, counted, informed and gathered feedback from visitors who attended the 2023 Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition. This well-known, international event captured a strong attendance of over 108,000 visitors through the sand sculpting gates in 2023. Despite fewer visitors to the site in 2023 over 2022, board directors were able to earmark a greater donation amount.
Parksville Beach Festival president, Cheryl Dill, remarked on the importance of volunteer involvement at Beach Festival. “These not-for-profit groups provide essential services for so many local residents,” commented Dill. “Volunteer engagement is key to our event sustainability and helps foster community connections and development.”
The following groups donated close to 3000 person hours towards the 2023 event:
- Bowser Seniors Housing Society
- Catspan
- Deep Bay Fire/Rescue Society
- Forward House Community Society
- Fraternal Order of Eagles 3922
- Hub International (note – they donated their sum back to groups)
- Knights of Columbus Ascension Council 7991
- Knox United Church
- Lions Club of Parksville
- Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society
- Oceanside Community Arts Council/McMillan Arts Centre
- Oceanside Community Safety
- Oceanside Hospice Society
- Oceanside Stroke Recovery Society
- Parksville Curling Club
- Parksville Lawn Bowling Club
- Parksville Qualicum Adult Literacy Society
- Parksville Quilt House Quilter’s Guild
- Parksville Quilters (part of nationwide Victoria’s Quilts)
- Parksville-Qualicum Elks #589
- Preceptor Delta Zeta
- Qualicum & District Curling Club
- Rotary Club of Qualicum Beach
- Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary Parksville #49
- Sources Community Resources Society
The mandate of the Parksville Beach Festival Society is to not only create fun, family-friendly events close to Parksville’s main beach, but also to help the community grow. According to their policies, the Society assigns 25% of their gate donations to related projects and philanthropic groups. Contributing to the maintenance and development of the Community Park is also a high priority. Since 1999, the Society has donated just over $1,100,000 to non-profit organizations and community projects, which included construction of the new outdoor theatre, park gazebo and community signs. The Society reserves funds annually to help sustain its future events. For more information see www.parksvillebeachfest.ca
