By Ezra Black
Last week, the Eirin Amundsen Memorial committee and Fernie Rotary Club announced the winners of a travel lottery that will raise funds to build a memorial pavilion at Max Turyk playing field.
The lottery took place at Fernie Brewing Co. on Dec. 9. It would have been Fernie resident Eirin Amundsen’s 41st birthday. Remarkably, Clint Pater pulled two of the three winning tickets and won $5,000 in travel vouchers. Kevin Griffin won the third voucher worth $2,000.
The travel lottery is one of a series of fundraising initiatives being undertaken to honour Amundsen: a dedicated coach, talented soccer player, healthcare practitioner and friend who was killed in a tragic car accident on Highway 3, west of Coleman, Alberta approximately two years ago.
The Committee collaborated with Fernie Rotary for this fundraiser and over 600 tickets were sold.
A spokesperson for the Rotary Club said approximately $60,000 of the estimated $300,000 needed to build the pavilion has been raised.
The Eirin Amundsen Memorial Pavilion will be a large timber frame shelter that will include a concession area, picnic tables, washroom facilities, an outdoor water fountain, storage facilities and solar lighting.