A local fundraising group is calling on Parry Sounders to rally behind the Mary Street Centre.
The centre has been nominated for the Aviva Community Fund $100,000 prize, which is needed to update the building to allow for more community use. Fundraiser Rebecca Johnson says they have some great ideas to expand the centre.
“We would be looking at moving the main entrance, so it’s more useful for a multitude of different types of events, concerts, dinners,” says Johnson. “We will be looking at another phase moving the kitchen, there will be additional office space as well.”
Johnson says the centre is already a vibrant hot spot for many community organizations and groups.
“The place is there and being used, it’s low cost for groups to come in and use it,” says Johnson. “We just want to make it more accessible and enable more people to use it.”
Some local organizations that currently use the Mary Street Centre include Harvest Share, St. James United Church, youth and arts and crafts groups.
The Aviva Community Fund provides 50 prizes of $10,000 for small ideas and three grants of $100,000 each for big ideas. Johnson is asking everyone in Parry Sound to get on to the Aviva site and vote until October 5th.
You’ll need to register on the Aviva site and each person is given 10 votes each to use.