John Snyder, CoalWatch Comox Valley, November 14, 2010

The sold out gala shellfish dinner held last Friday night at the Fanny Bay Community Hall, was a huge success. A great time was had by all.

A special Thank You goes out to Nick and Fiona Mackey, Greg and Hollie Wood, and Jeanette Reinhardt who organized and coordinated this event.

On behalf of CoalWatch, I would like to thank our sponsors: Hollie Wood Oysters, Fanny Bay Oysters, Stellar Bay Shellfish Ltd, Mac's Oysters Ltd, Baynes Sound Oyster Co, Party Shop Event Rentals, Fanny Bay Community Association, and Shimdesign.

Numerous individuals and business's donated items for our silent auction and live auction. The 32 string Celtic harp, donated by Sarah, was played wonderfully by Roger Helfrik. Mike Little kept the crowd entertained as the auctioneer for the live auction. Dawn McRae's Custom Gourmet Catering did a masterful job in preparing and serving the local shellfish which everyone enjoyed. I would also like to thank Roberta Stevenson, Executive Director of the BC Shellfish Growers Association, for saying a few words about the importance of our local shellfish industry. Many other volunteers helped in making this a successful event.

It was great to see people who had come together to enjoy good food and conversation. We are truly blessed to live in a place where we can enjoy the treasures from our local " Ocean of Plenty".

All of the funds will be used in CoalWatch's campaign to ensure that the full environmental impacts of the proposed Raven coal mine are understood and accounted for in the federal and provincial environment assessments, and that the public is aware of the mine proposal and are informed.

The directors of the CoalWatch Comox Valley Society thank everyone for their overwhelming support at the dinner, and for the most wonderful evening.

John Snyder
President, CoalWatch Comox Valley