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A motley band of gold seekers

September 14, 2016

By ValerieMaier

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for… recyclables???

Robert Service’s poem could have been written for the parishioners of St. Paul’s Church in Dawson City, with a few twists that benefit the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.

Betty Davidson, the Diocese of Yukon’s representative for the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund and a crew of dedicated people from the parish collect recyclables from local businesses, sort and count them and return them to their local recycle centre for cash. They have been doing this for the last six years. The funds they collect are then sent to benefit the Primate’s Fund project in Pikangikum and to help refurbish their Church kitchen.

Recyclable drink bottles, plastic and metal beverage cans are collected from around Dawson and cashed-in to create benefits that glitter like the gold the city is famous for.  Over the summer Betty and her band of “gold seekers” have been mining these bottles, sorting them and then returning them with a passion.  Betty has found that businesses in this busy tourist town are glad to pass on the chore of recycling to the Church, knowing the funds are going to worthwhile causes.  Twice a week, businesses like Sourdough Joe’s produce 12-16 dozen empties that  a volunteer collects, while the Goldrush Campground delivers their “paydirt” to Betty’s home. So far this year, the St. Paul’s fortune seekers have raised close to $2,000.

The miners are a motley band and include parishioners from St Paul’s, their priest, Rev Laurie Munro, and Vestry members.  Bishop Larry Robertson and PWRDF Board  member, Valerie Maier,  lent a hand last month when they were in Dawson City for a Vacation Bible School.- All touched by the gold fever of making this world a more just, healthy and peaceful place for all!

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