Plans well underway!

The Arts & Cookery Bank project is a volunteer-driven initiative spanning four municipalities with the goal of enhancing rural economic development in our region through cultural heritage tourism. The vision is to develop a cultural hub that tells the stories of Dutton-Dunwich, Newbury, Southwest Middlesex and West Elgin. The Bank will promote the value of a rural lifestyle through photographic collections and cooking experiences, thereby developing an enhanced understanding of the value of local food, as well as our rural way of life and economy.

No need to break the bank to win $5,000… just buy a ticket for $5.00.
Here’s your opportunity to win $5,000 while helping to build The Arts & Cookery Bank! For only $5 a ticket, you’ll have a chance to win a grand prize of $5,000 on April 2, 2010. Plus, you’ll have even more chances to win with two bonus draws.
Two $500 early bird draws on October 30, 2009 at our Halloween Adoption Auction and December 11, 2009 at our Christmas Holiday Celebration give you multiple chances to win! Every ticket is put back into the pool for each of the draws!!!

The Details: Get your tickets soon and help support this local community effort. For more information about becoming “Book of the Month Club” member or to buy tickets, call Dorothy Staddon at 519-768-2972.

With your help, The Bank’s Heritage Pathway will be the perfect walkway into our Carolinian garden for a peaceful photographic learning experience.
The Heritage Pathway is a memorial remembering those who have come before, honouring those who live now and celebrating future generations.
The pathway will be composed of 6” x 9” rustic stones. Each Heritage Stone will be carefully engraved with up to 30 easy-to-read letters. So whether you are honouring someone special or want to pledge your support for The Bank project, the Heritage Stones are a perfect legacy gift.

The Details: To place your order for a Heritage Stone ($100 per stone) and reserve your place on the Heritage Pathway, call Brenda Myers at 519-762-2898.

Come for an evening of inspiration!
The Bank 110 for 2010 Fundraiser offers a taste of The Bank’s interactive cookery sessions – showcasing exactly what’s in store for participants at The Bank’s future culinary programs. Each of our guest Chefs will offer hands-on tips during the preparation of a fabulous, gourmet meal. Four more spectacular meals are planned.

• Aug. 18 – Chef John Mairleitner, Tall Tales Café, Wallacetown
• Sept. 1 – Chef Ryan Watson, The Villa Dining Lounge, Glencoe
• Oct. 6 – Chef M. Earl Wilson, M.E. and Suzie’s, Port Stanley
• Nov. 3 – Chef Jonathan Collins, Lakeview Gardens, Eagle

The Details: To purchase your tickets ($110 per person), please call Monique Lunn at 519-768-9986. Each dinner is limited to total of 12 guests.

Grab your camera and take a ride on The Bank’s Mystery Photo CAR Tour.
Immerse yourself in history and create a living legacy along the way. Here’s a chance to leave your own “photographic footprint” on The Bank’s Carolinian Garden Wall.
Join us on Sunday August 9, 2009 and step back in history by discovering the heritage mysteries in our local area. Then capture your own sense of that mystery with the snapshot of how you see it today. Visit and learn something new at each mystery location. Take photographs along the way, then join fellow travellers for a tasting of local treats and friendly socializing (also at a mystery location!!!). Your photographs will be entered into a pool and judged for permanent showcase in the Carolinian Garden at The Bank. The photographs in the garden will pictorially tell the story of our area through your eyes.

The Details: For just $20 per car, gather your friends and family and make an afternoon of it. Start practicing taking photos and get ready to take a ride on The Bank’s Mystery Photo CAR Tour!!! For more details, call Monique Lunn at 519-768-9986.