Privateer Days crowd. Photo Ed Halverson

The people behind Liverpool’s Privateer Days are reaching out for public support.

The annual June event routinely attracts thousands of visitors to the Liverpool area as it celebrates the former town’s history with a parade, rides, food, music and more.

The organization usually receives a federal Heritage grant each year to cover most of their costs.

Privateer Days Treasurer Min Theile says due to changes in deadlines during COVID they missed their opportunity to apply this year.

“It’s a big undertaking and typically, when we do get the Heritage grant it’s about $40,000 to put on,” said Theile. “We try to keep it as cost efficient, if cost zero for our participants just to make sure we can bring tourism to Queens County.”

Organizers needed to get creative and began reaching out to local businesses and organizing fundraising events.

Theile says business owners have been generous providing financial support and donations.

Over $1,000 has been raised between a dance held in April and a raffle prize of one of three flights offered by members of the South Shore Flying Club.

Local businesses have been donating items towards an online auction as well, but Theile says that won’t go live until the Liverpool Regional High School Scholarship auction is complete in June.

The Privateers Day organizers are looking for volunteer to assist with the parade and their visitor information booth over the event being held June 23 -25.

Anyone wishing to offer their time can find information on the Privateer Days Facebook page or by e-mailing privateer.vice.chair@gmail.com.

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Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson

The annual Liverpool Regional High School scholarship fundraiser is marking 25 years of providing money for graduates to attend post-secondary school.

What started as a dinner and auction moved online during the pandemic and has been breaking donation records ever since.

Last year, organizers raised over $33,000, smashing through their $22,000 goal.

This year they’re challenging themselves and the community to come up with $35,000.

Fundraising committee member Pierre Losier says organizers considered returning to an in-person format but decided staying online offered benefits that couldn’t be ignored.

“What we found is with the online auction format it provides more than just a one-day event. It provides more opportunities for folks to participate in the auction,” said Losier. “We start in the first of May and go through the month into June until we’ve gone through the different lots of auction. So, it’s a different format but it increases our participation and as a result also increases the funding.”

The committee is composed of parents, teachers and most importantly, students.

“They are broken down in smaller groups with a mentor committee parent and they will go and canvas the community for donations of either items to be sold at auction or some financial donations to the committee,” said Losier.

The auction is held on the LRHS 2023 Scholarship Fundraiser Facebook page.

Items up for auction are displayed as posts and bids can be made in the comments.

Losier says given the generosity of the community they could surpass the set goal of $35,000.

“Our community, year after year, just shows amazing support for this program and we’re confident that will continue on.”

Each year, about a third of the graduating class receive $1,000 awards from the scholarship fund to support their post-secondary schooling.

In the 25 years the auction has been running, over 400 students have received around $500,000 towards their continuing education from the LRHS Foundation.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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