The 100 Mile House Legion is holding a Soc Hop on July 15 and it’s spinning up to be a fun night of 50s-60s dress-up and dancing for adults 19+ in the community.
Wear your own retro clothing, dig out your family’s, or shop in a gently-worn store if you wish to look the part and be in on the best costume prize, says co-organizer Ken Mills.
“You don’t have to dress up to come, but it might be more fun if you do.”
You can opt to take a chance on the dance to win a prize, with spot dancing and door prizes, while you jive or twist to the classics spun by a DJ, enjoy snacks and the social chit-chat that is “always a given” at the Legion#260 on 99 Mile Hill.
Tickets are $15 in advance (by July 10) snacks included, and will help the Legion fundraise for a much-needed new roof, he explains.
“It is now the top of our list, but the trouble is it’s a $30,000 repair. So, we have put in for grants, but of course, with our change in government, we’ve been told nothing is happening until fall, October, for sure. So, we are just going to do a whole bunch of things to start raising money for our roof fund.”
Mills says all organizers at the Legion really hope the community will turn out to their fun Soc Hop and support them towards their much-needed goals at the same time.
The canteen will be open so folks can get hamburgers, hot dogs and whatever else they have on the grill that night, he adds.
They also have a big awareness and membership drive going on this summer, so you may see them at some of the major events around the community, he notes.
“We are trying to make people aware that the Legion is for everybody, not just for [older veterans and their relatives]. Anybody can be a member, they are simply sponsored by somebody else.”
Mills explains there are different types of memberships, one for veterans and current Armed Forces members, (an “ordinary” member), and another for their spouses, descendants or those who simply wish to join for the fun activities (an “associate” member).
These include playing pool on one of three “beautiful” tables, cribbage, darts, and other social engagements, from dinners to discussions, where friendships are formed and fun is free-flowing, he adds.
The canteen offers good food and both licensed and non-alcoholic refreshments, and members hope more younger people, in particular, will join – so this is a great chance to give the Soc Hop a whirl and see how much fun is there to be had, he notes.
Membership is $52 a year, and there are plenty of other aspects to membership, such as regular meat draws and golf tournaments, while supporting the nation’s noble veterans as well as the Legion’s many volunteers.
“We encourage people to come out. We [also] need more volunteers because it’s run strictly by volunteers – our bar, everything.”
Mills says occasional events, such as this Soc Hop, are open to the public as well as new weekly events that are also for the whole community.
“Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. is Texas Hold’Em poker night, anybody can come – it’s $15 buy-in, and we have cash prizes and so on. It falls under our lottery license, and we generally get about 22 people out and we get as many females as males.”
He says it’s not only a fun and friendly time but also a good way to pick up more poker essentials from others.
Drop by or even call the Legion (at 250-395-2511) soon to reserve your tickets, if you don’t want to miss out, and then drop in to pay and pick them up by July 10, he adds.
Soc Hop tickets may also be purchased (and even delivered where possible) by calling Lindamae Wilson at 250-593-2394 or Tracey Lervik at 250-706-7411.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the dance beginning at 7.