While the amount brought it by Saturday’s Amber Ball may not have been as high as organizers would have wanted, not everyone is disappointed in the results.
Chair of the River of Death and Discovery Dinosaur Museum Society Ross Sutherland says he’s amazed at how generous the community is year after year.
“Grande Prairie area residents, they just keeping giving, giving, and giving. Perhaps we could have had some bigger funds come from outside of Grande Prairie, but we don’t know; maybe they’re yet to come.”
Although the final totals aren’t in, it’s estimated $350,000 was raised for the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum.
With that amount, Ross Sutherland says they’re still looking for just over $4 million to complete the displays and exhibits.
“We’d like to raise that all for the construction and keep a bit for our operating fund, because no matter what we do, the operating fund is probably not going to come out as we budgeted. Hopefully it will come out very close, but we want to be ready if there’s any hiccups.”
They’re looking at two provincial grants, with the help of Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale, that would cover that amount.
It’s hoped that can happen early enough that the museum can open next spring.
Photo: Hundreds attended the ribbon cutting for the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum Saturday