An Essex County club threatened with closure is getting a new lease on life.
The Stoney Point Sportsmen's Club, which is facing a chain of events that could have led to its demise after decades of community service, will go on as the result of a magnificent outpouring of support and financial help.
The non-profit community organization has been helping residents since the 1950s, according to club president Colleen Campbell, but their final meeting could have been this past weekend.
The trouble began when the club was slapped with a lawsuit for an ATV collision that took place in January 2015. Court documents stemming from that civil lawsuit indicate that the club was accused of serving too much alcohol to at least one of those involved in the collision.
The suit has not reached the courts, and the club has filed a response denying any responsibility.
Campbell tells BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that the club got a nasty surprise when its insurance company balked at issuing them a policy for 2018.
"In the second week of December we got wind about the lawsuit, and that they weren't sure if they were going to continue to insure us," says Campbell. "They never let us know until the 20th of December about the insurance and we were all shocked."
Campbell says the yearly insurance premium for the club was $4,700. The club struggled to find another insurance company since it was the holiday season, but they did find a company willing to issue a policy. The trouble was, the premium was for $47,000.
With the club's future in jeopardy, a call went out to the community for help, and an emergency meeting was held Saturday. At least 300 people showed up.
It was a demonstration of support that deeply touched Campbell.
"The meeting was one of the most beautiful meetings I've ever attended," says Campbell. "It was all upbeat and positive. There were memories shared; there were some tears. Everybody was there for the same reason. They wanted our sportsmen's club to remain open."
Many in attendance opened their wallets, donating money to keep the club open and purchasing memberships. Campbell says this included Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain and town councillors Tracey Bailey and Linda McKinlay.
With this unexpected outpouring of support, Campbell says it's back to business as usual. In the meantime, an insurance company in Comber has offered the club a cheaper policy with a lower deductible.
Campbell says donations are still coming in and they hope to have the total amount known by the end of the week.
The club continues to seek support through donations and new memberships. Information about the club is available on its Facebook page.