This upcoming week, on Friday, July 21st, Moose Jaw Diversified Services is hosting their first annual Summer Festival. The event will be held at their facility on 11 Woodlily Drive.
The Summer Festival will run from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. and everyone is welcome.
Guests are asked to enter through the front main door, which faces west along Woodlily Drive. Admission is $10, and children under the age of five get in for free.
For lunch, hot dogs, chips, and a pop will be available for $5.00.
“All the money raised by the fundraiser will be used to upgrade some of our service areas,” said Cal Cossette, Assistant Manager and Program Director at Moose Jaw Diversified Services. It will create rooms that allow us to create smaller group activities, like small businesses such as recycling or paper shredding. We can use those smaller rooms for educational opportunities as well.”
The organization has a new Participant’s Committee, peopled by participants within the organization. “They talk about things they want to do, things they like, and things they would like done differently,” he said. “This festival was actually one of their ideas.”
The Summer Festival will include several events such as face painting, a 50/50 raffle, live entertainment, pie throwing, and a dunk tank.
“We’re having the Blue Beach Band come in… and Magic by Chris. He (Chris) is a highly rated magician, and he sounds fun.” This will be the first time that Magic by Chris has attended a Diversified Services event.
The Blue Beach Band was nominated for Best Saskatchewan Album, and they entertain around the province. Based in Regina, they will be playing an upbeat, high-energy playlist.
“We’re going to have a dunk tank with some of our staff in the dunk tank; there’s a pie throwing event which is being hosted by our Participant’s Committee,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to look like by the end of that!”
“Moose Jaw Diversified Services has been in operation since 1967. We support individuals — it’s a day service for individuals. We do vocational, recreational, and educational programs, and help individuals find job opportunities,” explained Cossette. Currently they support 112 individuals in the community.
Moose Jaw Diversified Services is “A community-based, customer-driven service that adapts and is responsive to the needs and choices of the people it serves,” according to their vision statement.
“I look forward… to hanging out with some old friends and some people we’ve partnered with in the community. I’m really looking forward to creating some new friendships and seeing some new people (at the Summer Festival),” said Cossette.
“There are still some people who wonder what goes on at Diversified Services. Come out to the festival, have a great time, and I guarantee you’ll find some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet!”
Moose Jaw Diversified Services asks that guests bring their own lawn chairs, as the event will be held in their back yard and limited seating is available.
For more information, Cossette can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling 306-692-4954.
