Regina’s German Club asking for public’s help amid financial crisis

Regina’s German Club is struggling to make ends meet and is hoping for community support.

Kerri Van Loosen, the club’s president, said like many, the club has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Anything that we’re making is just keeping us afloat. We are working with volunteers. I only have two paid staff right now. Everything is touch and go,” she said.

The club signed up for the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan. The payment deadline is slowly approaching.

“Somehow we’re miraculously supposed to come up with $60,000. That is not something that a non-profit cultural club just has kicking around, especially when we’ve been running a deficit over the last two years just trying to keep our doors open,” said Van Loosen.

She said the loan is set up that if the club was to pay back $40,000 all at once by Jan. 1, 2024, the other $20,000 would be forgiven. But that still doesn’t help the club. Van Loosen said the price tag might as well be $100,000.

If it doesn’t make that deadline, the club will owe the full $60,000 and it will become a high-interest payback loan. There is no deadline on the loan, but Van Loosen said the interest rate is astronomical.

She said the club wouldn’t be able to afford monthly payments and would likely just be able to cover the interest payment on the loan.

“We’d be stuck with that for forever basically. We just don’t make enough money these days to set any amount aside that would be substantial enough to bring down that debt,” she said.

If the funds aren’t raised, the club faces the decision of selling its parking lot across the street from the club’s building on St. John Street.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for community support. As of Friday, donations totalled $3,700.

If the club doesn’t reach its goal and is forced to sell the lot, any money donated will be used to fix up the club, which opened in 1968. Van Loosen said the building needs a lot of TLC.

The German Club in Regina is facing a financial crisis and is contemplating selling the parking lot across the street from its building. (980 CJME file photo)

“I don’t even know where to begin, to be honest. There’s so much that needs to be done in that building. We can’t even afford to address the smaller things,” she said.

Plumbing and flooring are some of the major issues. Van Loosen said the club has only one functioning air conditioner that is “limping along,” because it’s not meant to cool down the whole building.

“The list is just huge,” she said.

Van Loosen said the club had an appraisal done on the parking lot but hasn’t heard back on what the lot is worth. She did her own research for a ballpark number.

She said a single parking lot in that neighbourhood is going for around $40,000 to $50,000.

Some donations have been made to the GoFundMe or directly to the club. People also are volunteering their time, which helps the club cut costs.

Van Loosen said the club hasn’t received an outpouring of support, but she acknowledges that everyone is struggling right now. She said there could be a simple solution to the problem.

“We have over 280 active members of the club and if each of them pitched in $20 (or) $100, that would add up pretty darn quick and could save the day,” she said.

But she knows that isn’t entirely realistic.

Events continue to be booked at the club, but Van Loosen said the bookings don’t bring in enough revenue to put any money towards the loan. Those bookings cover costs like paying staff and buying the items needed to host those events.

Van Loosen hopes members of the community can help in whatever way they can.

“I’m just hoping that people care enough about not just us but the other local businesses that are really hurting. Spend money where you can, support where you can, and we all really appreciate it,” she said.

She’s looking forward to the upcoming Oktoberfest, which is a German harvest celebration. It includes traditional food, drink and a Mr. and Ms. Oktoberfest contest. The event is scheduled for Sept. 29.

The club initially started as a private members club, but over the years, it opened its doors to everyone to book events in the banquet hall and enjoy the restaurant.

The club does cultural events throughout the year like Christkindlmarkt, which is a Christmas market, and Spargelfest, a four-course spring feast celebrating asparagus.

The club is also available to rent for private events.