OTTERBURNE, MB – Last month, on October 21st, Providence held its annual Harvest Festival Banquet. Approximately 200 people attended the fundraising event that has been running for 29 consecutive years. Everyone was happy to return to an in-person event after two years of virtual experiences.
Many of our Corporation and Board members were present along with two past presidents, employees, students, alumni, and friends of Providence. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we raised more than $53,000 in support of our students through the Providence Fund.
“We were so encouraged to have everyone join us for an amazing evening filled with music, delicious food, and encouraging messages,” said Annual Fund Development Coordinator, Melissa Bechard.
The evening’s program included a greeting from President Kent Anderson, an inspirational message from Dr. Ed Neufeld (Professor of Biblical Studies) followed by a lively concert with Curtis & Bonnie Szakacs and family. The banquet theme was Celebrating Past, Present and Future.
A good time was enjoyed by all. You could feel the excitement and goodwill in the air as there were many reasons to hope and be thankful for all that God has in store for Providence. For instance, this year (2022) marks the Seminary’s 50th anniversary which started on the Otterburne campus in 1972.
President Anderson also shared about how a record number – more than 85 prospective students – recently came to campus to attend our Fall Preview Days which held the promise of a larger and more robust student population for the coming 2022-23 academic year.
After the event, he spoke about the enthusiastic people who joined our first in-person Harvest Festival since 2019 and affirmed that “the atmosphere and spirit of the event was tremendous as people renewed their commitment to the cause of our mission.”
All of us at Providence are thankful to God for our faithful and generous partners who continually invest in our school and make it possible for students to experience a transformational community and education.
