For better than two dozen valley residents, two years’ shared vision and efforts led to the marking of a milestone in late May.
Members heard at a May 26 meeting, they have achieved official status as the North Thompson Valley Hospice House Society, a registered non-profit society.
Once the applause ended at the Little Fort meeting, members agreed to take their first official step: mailing receipts to a long list of supporters who have already made donations in aid of NTVHHS projects — projects intended to raise funds and public awareness for a hospice house to serve the North Thompson Valley.
“The NTVHHS extends our sincere appreciation to all those who supported (either financially or in kind) the Antique Appraisal Weekend, April 30 and May 1, 2011, in the Little Fort Hall,“ antique weekend chair Pat Paula said this week.
This spring’s antique appraisal weekend was a second visit by Peter Blundell to the North Thompson; he provided his expert services at a similar event in 2009. As the 2011 weekend wrapped up, Blundell commented that he had been delighted by the diversity of exceptional antiques brought in. The Vernon-based appraiser said the quality of items shown at Little Fort compared favorably to what he is accustomed to seeing at much larger venues.
Many of those bringing items to be appraised shared his enthusiasm, promising to return again for next year’s antique weekend. Others came as spectators, and stayed all day, many of them both days.
The antique appraisal weekend is the second of two annual events sponsored by the NTVHHS. Planning is underway for the society’s third annual Barriere – Clearwater Bike Challenge, slated for mid-September. That event pits society members from Barriere and Clearwater against one another in a bike race in which riders depart from both communities at an appointed time and race to see which contingent travels the farthest before they meet in the middle.
For a small fee, valley residents wager where, along Highway 5, the bikers will meet. Watch for the date of the upcoming NTVHHS Bike Challege!