Dick Walker & Monica Black Remembered at DU Banquet

2014/10/29Local Interest

Submitted by:
Patty Gattinger |

Swan Valley Ducks Unlimited Committee held their 33rd Annual Banquet and Auction on Saturday, October 25, 2014. A sell-out crowd was met with numerous raffles and auction items.


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As the guest mingled and browsed the floor, catering staff from Y Not Johnny’s served delicious appetizers to everyone.


A few changes to the evening involved the renaming of two raffles. The raffles were the Richard Walker Sportsman Raffle and the Monica Black Ladies Raffle in remembrance of these two long standing members of the committee.


Dick Walker had served on the local Ducks committee for 34 years and had been the founding member of this local chapter. Monica Black had served on the committee for 26 years and had been one of the first ladies, if not the first lady, to be a member of the Ducks committee.

Following a lovely supper numerous local service awards were handed out. Thirty year awards were given to Gary Wowchuk, Brian Riddell and Rick Wowchuk. Duane Whyte and Rick Bobby were awarded 25 years service certificates. Chris Reimer was awarded a 10 year service certificate. Envirothon students, which help out every year at our banquet by selling tickets for numerous raffles, along with Rick Wowchuk were recognized provincially as ‘Wetland Heroes’.

Following the awards the Live Auction took place with Randy Hart as our auctioneer. Numerous items, such as paintings, sculptures, furniture and guns, were sold in lively bidding wars for this local fundraiser. ‘Project Webfoot’, which helps to educate numerous students in the valley, was again a success by being sponsored by 18 classrooms in the school division. The students receive education on preserving our marshlands, the boreal forest and projects going on in our valley by being given a tour of the Duck Mountain Interpretive Center as well as been given educational material for their classrooms.

The Swan Valley Ducks Unlimited Committee would like to thank everyone fore coming out and making our annual fundraiser such a wonderful success. We were happy to see many new faces in the crowd and hope to see you all there again next year.