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Disabilities council director steps down

Thandiwe Vela
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 8, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The executive director of the NWT Council for Persons with Disabilities has stepped down for medical reasons, according to the person replacing her in the interim.

Michelle Gillis stepped down May 31, the day after the organization cancelled its popular celebrity auction, which was revamped this year as the Mad Hatter Spring Gala and Auction.

Acting executive director Adam Spears, who formerly served as the organization's information referral and support officer, said Gillis's departure was not related to the cancellation of the event.

The Spring Gala and Auction was scheduled to take place at the Ed Jeske Arena on June 3 to wrap up Disability Awareness Week, but was cancelled last week due to poor ticket sales and very few donations.

"As we got closer to the date, the ticket sales fell far below our expectations and we were basically forced to cancel the event because we would have lost money," said Don Gillis, chair of the board of directors.

Due to steadily declining revenue year after year, the organization announced last fall that the 31st annual celebrity auction would be moved from the usual mid-November date, to avoid the Christmas rush of other charity events organized around the same time.

Event planner Richard Makohoniuk told Yellowknifer he was hoping the auction, relaunched as a spring gala with live and silent auctions, a sit-down dinner and live entertainment, would create an even bigger draw with fewer charity events planned in June.

Makohoniuk said the theme of the event was "through the looking glass - looking beyond the disabilities into the abilities," a play on Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

While admission was free in past years, $100 tickets were being sold for this year's event, which was to include dinner, drinks and entertainment.

Just 30 of the event's 250 tickets were sold as of last week.

All vendors, donors and ticket holders are being issued a full refund in light of the event's cancellation and any losses incurred are still under review but expected to be minimal, Don Gillis said.

"Most of the people who were involved in the planning are supportive of our organization so I don't think the loss at this point will be very high," he said.

The auction has been the group's greatest fundraiser, raking in net profits upwards of $50,000 in the past. The organization has not yet determined how the cancellation will affect its operations.

"Any shortfall in budget is going to have an impact on programs," Don Gillis said, adding the board will decide whether the celebrity auction will be rescheduled and look at new ways of generating funds at their next council meeting.

"We don't need a big event to accept donations," Don Gillis said. "We really value the continued community support."

The group's other popular fundraiser, the Abilities Cup sailing race, is still scheduled to take place in July, with the Great Slave Sailing Club. Last year, the event raised $8,000.

Former council executive director Denise McKee has been hired to replace Michelle Gillis, starting June 20.

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