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Ladysmith Show n Shine donates extra funds to VIU technician program award

Last year’s show was the most successful event the organization has seen, according to vice-chair
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Members of the Ladysmith Show n Shine committee as well as from the Pacific Coast Mustang Association presented a cheque for $2,500 to Vancouver Island University on Jan. 13. The donation is to go toward a student attending VIU, taking an automotive technicianoriented program. (Vancouver Island University photo)

The Ladysmith Show n Shine has wrapped up the records for 2021 and it turned out to be the most successful one the town has ever experienced, according to the organization.

The local committee had initially considered not going forward with the show but last summer, with the COVID protocols being somewhat relaxed, the volunteer organization took the plunge and went ahead with the show, said Duck Paterson, vice-chairperson.

“We anticipated there would be a few more vehicles but we really didn’t count on the numbers that arrived,” said Martyn Byrne, 2021 committee chair. “We were probably 50 over what we expected [and] the crowd of spectators really blew us out of the water.”

It’s not the plan to make money, Paterson said, but any funds left over after the show from registrations are given to Vancouver Island University to be donated as a bursary.

“The goal of the event is to put on an impressive show for local residents and car buffs, but it’s not just for locals,” said Paterson. “We want to show off our town as well. That’s why we chose downtown, it has a great feel and lots of unique businesses. We hope that folks enjoy it and spend a few dollars.”

The committee decided to put the funds into the Sam Bailey Memorial Automotive Award for VIU students in the technician program.

“We figured that a vehicle-associated program fit with our show,” Byrne said. “And the Sam Bailey Award was an appropriate place.”

Sam Bailey was a longtime mechanical instructor at VIU. He was a popular and very influential teacher, as well as an avid car buff with a lean toward early Ford Mustangs.

“It’s not all the time we have funds left over but when we do we want to make sure that there is an appropriate place to put them where there will be some benefit, and a bursary for a student seems like a great idea,” Paterson said.

The show from 2021 donated $2,500 to VIU. The local car show is assisted by members of the Pacific Coast Mustang Association, from Nanaimo, which also contributed funds to the awards program.


 

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