Manitoba Hydro / City of Thompson Executive Breakfast Fundraiser

Manitoba Hydro and the City of Thompson hosted an exceptional Executive Breakfast Fundraiser at the Greenwood Inn in Winnipeg this past Friday, September 24, 2010. 

Your emcee for the event

We were joined at 7:30 in the morning by Executives and CEOs from many notable corporations in our Province, as well as a handful of Thompson Ambassadors, from CEO of the Thompson Airport Authority to the spokesperson for Vale Manitoba Operations.  The agenda was simple: sell Thompson as a great place to live, work and play.  And the objective: Get businesses to invest in Thompson, particularly the Thompson Regional Community Centre.

Based on the premise that the Thompson Regional Community Centre is meeting place for the community; a place for families to play and citizens to achieve personal wellness.  The TRCC will attract visitor and new families to Thompson as well as retain our current population. 

Table conversations proved that Thompson today is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Many of our guests had their curiosity piqued by the question: Have you looked at us lately?

I was especially excited to participate in the Fundraiser because I got to don both my Manitoba Hydro hat and my City of Thompson hat.  As an employee of Manitoba Hydro, and my connection to the City, I was asked to emcee the event!  I never say no to a challenge, so I took it up as a chance to gain more experience.  I have to say, it went pretty darn well for my first time as emcee! 

One of the best presentations of the morning was when Mayor Tim Johnston presented Manitoba Hydro Vice-President Lloyd Kuczek with a hockey jersey for being a "TRCC Team Player".  A similar jersey was presented earlier this month to Steve Wood, Vice-President, Smelting and Refining, Canada-UK Operations for Vale at their announcement of another $1.5 million contribution toward the TRCC final phase in Thompson.

Mayor Johnston presenting Team TRCC hockey jersey to Manitoba Hydro VP

The Thompson Regional Community Centre is another step closer to the goal of raising the remaining $3 million for the $12 million cost of the final phase of construction.  Once complete, the TRCC will include a large indoor multi-sport playing field, arts/cultural programming space, a fitness area, a boardroom, food services and administrative offices.  The project expands Thompson's ability to deliver recreational, cultural and social programs, and contributes to our region's overall economic viability.

The guests at our Executive Breakfast Fundraiser were invited to invest in two different contribution packages, one at $10,000 and the other at $25,000.  I'm looking forward to the positive response this great event is sure to generate for the residents of Thompson.