Great Plains College announces provincial Carhartts and Caviar Welding Raffle

Welding class items up for raffle province-wide

Great Plains College is preparing for an innovative approach to highlight its welding program and the talents of its students and instructor. After eight years of hosting the popular Carhartts and Caviar Welding Showcase and Auction annual event in Swift Current, the college will be holding a province-wide raffle that will focus on quality pieces of metal artwork prepared by students and instructor Jared McKenzie. 

The Carhartts and Caviar Welding Raffle was organized to serve as an alternative to the annual showcase and auction event due to the restrictions on public gatherings created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The college’s student and instructor team are working hard to create three custom pieces for the raffle including a custom river coffee table (value $2,500), fire pit (value $2,000) and wall art (value $1,000). Tickets purchased will be entered for all three pieces of artwork. 

“Our past students have always been excited to host the annual Carhartts showcase and auction event, as it served as a major fundraiser and a great learning experience for them,” commented Jared McKenzie, welding program instructor. “Although this year’s process will be a little different, the students are focused on using their skills and expertise to create high quality items for raffle winners to enjoy for a long time to come. We hope to be able to return to an in-person event in 2022.” 

Raffle ticket sales will commence on February 10 and will conclude at midnight on March 26, 2021. The draw date for all three items is March 31 and will be held in the Great Plains College gymnasium. Although the public will be unable to attend the draws in person, the event will be livestreamed on the Great Plains College Facebook page. 

Tickets are $20 apiece and will be available at the college’s Biggar, Kindersley, Maple Creek, Swift Current and Warman campus locations. The City of Swift Current will have tickets for sale at their City Hall office. Tickets are also available by contacting donor services coordinator Dianne Sletten at 306-778-5456 or via email at development@greatplainscollege.ca. All proceeds from the raffle will be directed to the welding program and entrance scholarships for college students. 

“While we are disappointed that we cannot hold the in-person showcase and auction event this year, we are excited to continue to highlight the accomplishments of the welding students and their instructor,” said Dianne Sletten, donor services coordinator. “Additionally, this year’s raffle will open up the opportunity for anyone across the province to win one of these original pieces of metal artwork.” 

Sletten added that the raffle’s success will be assisted by the generous support of its community sponsors, including the title sponsorship of S3 Enterprises. She praised the assistance of metal art sponsors Wheatland Machine Shop, Nodge Manufacturing and Standard Motors, clothing sponsors Honeybee Manufacturing and MacMor Industries, and paint sponsor PDQ Autobody. 

“You can see the confidence in the students’ work through their pieces created for this event,” said Jessica Sauder, Marketing Coordinator for 

S3 Enterprises Inc. “S3 Enterprises Inc. sponsors this event because it’s a great program. The leadership and skills students gain from Jared has led S3 to hiring many welders from the program. This fundraiser is important in keeping locals’ local and manufacturing growing in our community.” 

Complete details of the raffle are available by visiting greatplainscollege.ca/news-and-events. The college encourages the public to stay tuned to their website and social media channels for photos of the finished products which will be revealed during the week of February 22.

Welding class items up for raffle province-wide