By Angela Brown

BASF donation to Hafford to benefit Communiplex

Dec 1, 2021 | 5:42 PM

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. – The Hafford and District Communiplex will be seeing more support following a donation announced from BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions.

The contribution is part of the second-annual BASF Community Challenge. Through the initiative, BASF gives back to farming communities where its customers live and work.

On Giving Tuesday, Nov. 30, the organization announced it would be donating $65,000 on behalf of growers to local organizations across Western Canada, including Hafford.

Producer Dallas Simmonds of Hafford was one of the selected recipients. BASF will be donating $5,000 in Simmonds’ name to his chosen organization, which is the Hafford Communiplex.

BASF said funds will support ongoing facility upgrades and maintenance, so the centre can continue to welcome local residents for gatherings and events.

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Simmonds, who runs the Communiplex for the Town of Hafford and the RM of Redberry on a voluntary basis, appreciates the funding donation to help the facility.

The Communiplex, which was built in the 1980s, features a natural ice rink and a large hall, all in one building.

Simmonds said part of the donation will be able to help with costs incurred to fix the score clock for the hockey arena.

Nicole McAuley, communications manager for BASF based in Calgary, said a number of growers were selected for donations to benefit their chosen local organizations or initiatives.

“This year was a special year,” she said. “BASF is celebrating our InVigor hybrid canola seed’s 25th anniversary.”

Eight winners were selected from across Western Canada, with each receiving a $5,000 donation, similar to 2020, the first year of the program. In addition, to commemorate the new milestone this year, the company added a separate $25,000 grant prize as well. So in total there will be nine recipients to make up the combined $65,000 in donations for this year’s Community Challenge.

McAuley noted each of the eight winners were selected by a random draw, and were nominated by local growers from their communities. For the Hafford award, she said Simmonds nominated the Communiplex for the donation.

“BASF is a big supporter of local communities across Western Canada,” McAuley said. “We invest over $200,000 across those communities just in our own Community Giving program. This is over and above that.”

She said with this additional $65,000, the organization wanted to hear from its growers on the communities and the initiatives in their areas “that would be meaningful for them.”

“We know our local growers are often leaders and pillars in the communities that they live in,” she said. “We also recognize the importance as an organization for building safe and healthy communities, in the communities where we operate and where our customers operate.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow