Friends’ Toast to the Mountains a step towards financial recovery

This is an artist's conception of how the Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier's Balsam Lake Bookstore will appear when it is completed. Zuzana Driediger image courtesy of the FMRG
This is an artist's conception of how the Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier's Balsam Lake Bookstore will appear when it is completed. Zuzana Driediger image courtesy of the FMRG

By David F. Rooney

What more can you ask for this Friday: great wine; a delicious meal; and the chance to bid on some terrific items in a silent auction? It’s also an opportunity to help the Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier bridge the financial abyss they’ve been facing for months.

“We think this is a great way for the people who believe in us to help the Friends with their operational costs and to help us get the Balsam Lake Book Store ready for next summer,” Neills Kristensen, the FMRG’s executive director.

As reported in The Revelstoke Current this month and last, the group has been facing serious financial problems. They need to regain their financial equilibrium and just stretch their resources far enough to get the new book store at Balsam Lake near the summit of Mount Revelstoke up and running in time for the influx of summer visitors. Until the Rogers Pass Centre is fully renovated and they can reopen the Glacier Circle Book Store there, the Balsam Lake outlet will be their main source of income.

But to do that they need cash and the fundraiser being held at Powder Springs is an important first step towards achieving that goal. Forty bucks buys yo a ticket to the dinner of beef tenderloin and chicken stuffed with basil and apricots, an opportunity to sample the fruits of the Hillside Winery Estate’s vineyards and a chance to bid on some pretty fine offerings in the silent auction. Those auction items include a Parks Canada pass, lift tickets to Revelstoke Mountain Resort and much, much more.

By 3 pm on Wednesday 32 of the 70 tickets for this event had been sold. Tickets may be available at the door, but you should call of drop by the Friends office today, Thursday, to ensure you don’t miss this event. You can reach the Friends at 250-837-2010.