Quota International of Weyburn will be holding the 59th Annual Festival of Carols at Grace United Church this Sunday, December 2.
The first set of performances begins at 2:00 p.m., which will include Assiniboia Park Elementary School, the Sweet Singin' Seniors of Bison Manor and Legion Towers, Weyburn Girl Guides, Grace United Church Chancel Choir, Weyburn Junior High School Choir, Variations, Weyburn Comprehensive School Girl's Choir and the Rotary Club of Weyburn.
The 7:00 p.m. performances will include the WCS Grade 10 Choir, the Stoughton All-Stars, the WCS Grade 11 Choir, the Filipino-Canadian Choir, the Cornerstone Carollers, the WCS Grade 12 Choir, the Weyburn Men's Chorus and the WCS S.T.A.R.S. Choir.
The event is free of charge but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Quota International Club of Weyburn.
Although not a Quota member, Colleen Weimer has eight groups singing in this year's Festival of Carols. She noted that the kids from APES are particularly excited about their upcoming performance.
"It's a good community event," she said. "There are a lot of people who go to the carol festival who never get to see the teenagers or the school kids since they don't go to the regular school concerts. So it's a good chance for them to see (the students)."
Weimer said that she has been involved with the festival for most of her teaching career and her own children have been in the festival. She even recalls going as a teenager, with her own high school choir.
"I usually try to have some groups involved in it," she said. "I think it's a really nice kick-off to the season. It's a beautiful facility, to sing in that church. That's something our school kids don't get that often. It has very nice acoustics, so I like to get them out there to experience that, too."
Quotarian June Fletcher, who is this year's event organizer, said that the reason she is a member is because of how much the volunteer-based group gives back.
"One hundred per cent of our money goes back into Weyburn, into the community," said Fletcher.
Quota International links people of all ages, occupations and nationalities in a worldwide network of service and friendship. Founded in 1919 as the first international women's service organization, the Quotarian motto is, in fact, 'We Share'.
Fletcher said that the Quota Club is open to all women who want to be involved in community service.
"We have women of all walks of life," she said, "from young mothers to women who have been retired for twenty years but are still very active in their community." She noted that Isabelle Butters, who is the only lasting charter member, still remains quite active in service.
Quota International Club of Weyburn members also include Shelly Babiarz, Linda Banerjee, Jo Bannatyne Cugnet, Cindy Ann Boehm, Norma Buydens, Judy Buzowetsky, Kate Dammann, Marlene Decker, Peggy Eichel, Jean Fahlman, Theresa Girardin, Mayvis Goranson, Ann Marie Johnson, Karla Kennedy, Cheryl Roundy, Sandi Schweitzer, Heather Sidloski, Lorraine Wilkinson, Val Wing, Carmen Villness and Marlene Yurkowski.
"We just love being involved in our community," said Fletcher, "we really do. We enjoy this."
Throughout the years Weyburn Quota Club's philanthropic efforts have focused on the needs of the speech and hearing impaired, as well as a range of special problems faced by women, children, and the elderly. Service projects and activities are chosen annually. Some of these include the Weyburn Care-a-Van Society, Weyburn Special Care Home, Music Festival Scholarship, Hospitality in the Park, SE Community College Scholarship, Envision, Toy Lending Library, Tatagwa View, The Family Place and The Salvation Army. Quota has also donated FM equipment, which is used by the hearing impaired, to several elementary schools as well as to the Weyburn Junior High, the Cooperative Play School, Tatagwa View, SE Regional Library and the Weyburn Special Care Home.
