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Creative Tables raises money for fight against cancer

Now into its second decade, the Creative Tables fundraiser remains a popular fundraiser in the Arcola area for the fight against cancer. The 11th annual benefit was held at the Prairie Place Hall in Arcola on Oct.
Creative Tables
A large crowd attended this year’s Creative Tables fundraiser in Arcola. Photo submitted

Now into its second decade, the Creative Tables fundraiser remains a popular fundraiser in the Arcola area for the fight against cancer.

The 11th annual benefit was held at the Prairie Place Hall in Arcola on Oct. 11, with a sold out crowd of about 400 people in attendance. They enjoyed a catered meal, and there were about 80 hostesses who served the tables throughout the evening.

People from all over southeast Saskatchewan and even southwest Manitoba attended the event to show their support.

Organizer Darlene Olsen said the fundraiser lived up to its name, as the people who attended created their own uniquely decorated tables.

“You can’t even explain to people what it’s like, because you have to be there to see them,” said Olsen. “There are some tables that are over the top expensive. The ladies bring their fine china and all this kind of stuff and their silverware, and sitting right beside them is a table that’s a beach theme, and they’ve got a table with beach towels, and plastic everything.”

The ideas that people come up with continue to amaze her.

Entertainment was courtesy of Lumsden’s Justin LaBrash, who is a rising star in the Saskatchewan country music scene.

The guest speaker was Natalie Bloomfield, a teacher from Carlyle with a young family who is currently in the midst of her second battle with cancer.

“She was our guest speaker, and she was just inspirational and just so easy to listen to,” said Olsen. “She was very calm and peaceful, and very, very inspirational.”

There was also a silent auction that Olsen said drew a lot of attention.

“I’m a little biased, of course, but it’s the best silent auction I’ve been to in the last 40 years, and our items are always amazing,” said Olsen. “The businesses just really give us incredible things that people want.”

The majority of the proceeds from the Creative Tables will be directed towards Look Good, Feel Better, which is an organization that helps women dealing with cancer.

“It is a nationwide program that is in 114 locations across Canada, and in Saskatchewan we have one in Regina at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, and then we have one in Saskatoon,” said Olsen. “Twice a month we have events going on in Saskatchewan.”

Olsen has been a volunteer with Look Good Feel Better for just over 21 years. She drives to Regina once a month, and works with the workshops and the people who attend.

She estimates 30 people at this year’s Creative Tables attended a Look Good Feel Better workshop at some point.

“Usually every workshop there is somebody from southeast Saskatchewan,” said Olsen. 

The Arcola Day Care will also receive a percentage of the proceeds.

Olsen recalls she decided to start up the Creative Tables event after attending a workshop in Regina, and that a fashion show at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina would be the way to go.

She contacted a volunteer that she has worked with for about 40 years who Olsen believed could handle the money.

Olsen had to pay $10,000 of her own money as a down payment, and the fashion show was a hit.

“My goal that year was to get my $10,000 back … and we actually raised $17,000 this year,” said Olsen. “I was just over the top. We had about 450 people there.”

They organized eight fashion shows that were sold out with 500 people each year, and raised a lot of money. The last two years generated about $50,000 each year.

But it was a lot of work to run an event in Regina from Arcola, and fashion shows requires a lot of time as well.

“In the meantime, I got this idea of doing this event called the Creative Tables, so I said … I want to do this.”

She booked the Prairie Place Hall. A total of 160 people showed up, and Olsen said she almost had to pay them to come. And yes, there was a fashion show that year.

But the people who came had a fantastic time, and the next year they had about 320 people.

“Ever since then, we’ve had 400 people, and that’s all we can handle in Prairie Place,” said Olsen.

The majority of the crowd at Creative Tables is women, but Olsen said one man did a table this year, and he is trying to recruit some men to create some tables. The event usually attracts 20 to 40 men, and they love it.

A final fundraising figure was immediately released, but Olsen believes it raised between $30,000 and $34,000, which is in line with previous years.