Just like many other social clubs in the city, the Regina German Club’s building is in need of a desperate upgrade.
When Shae Whalen, Saskatchewan general manager for Reliance Mackenzie Home Services, heard the club was looking to replace their furnace at a cost of $70,000, he decided to lend a hand.
Realizing the costs were well beyond the German Canadian Society’s budget, the company decided to donate three furnaces to the club along with a complimentary installation and service.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to give back. Not only is this going to improve the safety of the building, it’s also going to improve the efficiency of the appliances,” Whalen said.
“Long-term, they’ll save some money on energy as well. So, just a really good opportunity all the way around.”
It’s something the Regina German Club’s manager Bryce Van Loosen said is much needed.
“The building has been neglected for a long time. Basically, all the equipment that is existing, is from the day it was built. It’s very inefficient and causes high utility bills and adds to the overall costs of running a non-profit organization,” Van Loosen said.
Van Loosen said the club was going to start fundraising, but saw it as a daunting task.
“We realized that it was going to be a huge expense for us and with the operating cost being so high, it would have been really hard to raise the money and replace the units,” Van Loosen said.
After years of pouring his heart and soul into keeping the club running, Van Loosen said words can’t explain how much the donation means to him and all its members.
“It was like Christmas came early or we won the lottery as my wife said.”
The doors opened to the Regina German Club in 1968.