Family Fundraiser For Burrowing Owls This Saturday

They stole the show at Monday evening's special meeting of Moose Jaw City Council (see video below) and now they are set to do it again this coming Saturday with their very own fundraiser.

This Saturday afternoon from 1 pm to 5 pm the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company - 250 Thatcher Drive East - will be hosting a family oriented fundraising event at the Convention Centre.

The indoor event - dubbed Carnivowl - will feature bouncy castles, games, carnival style food (hot dogs, pop and mini donuts) and of course a visit from the owls themselves.

The event is not only a fundraiser for the Burrowing Owl Interperative Centre located on the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds but also a means to educate and raise the profile of the endangered species. It replaces the usual gala fundraiser held annually.

“We have always done a formal banquet and we thought we do this family oriented afternoon event instead,” George Fowler general manager of the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company said.

“We think it is important even if you do not make anything on the event that the exposure of the owls is the most important thing,” Fowler said.

Presently there are nine endangered burrowing owls who are housed at the Burrowing Owl Centre. The Centre has approximately 4,000 visitors annually from the May long weekend to the September long weekend. Between 4,000 to 6,000 people see the owls as part of an outreach program which takes the owls throughout the province. Annually costs are approximately $55.000 plus utilities.

During the Royal Visit to Saskatchewan in 1987 Prince Phillip visited the nesting area of burrowing owls in the Moose Jaw area to draw attention to their plight.

Cost for the event is $10 or $35 for a family of four.