Our Story
For over four decades, the Airdrie 1st Club has proudly served the Airdrie community, making a positive impact and giving back to those in need. Originally founded as The Lioness Club in September 1977, we’ve grown to over 60 members in the 2023/24 year.
The club began with our founding members, particularly the late Dolly Dunne, who created the club, and Pat Delair, who shared Dolly’s vision of women coming together to make a difference. Along with 29 other women, they committed countless hours of volunteer work to help Airdrie, which had just become a town in 1974 with a population of 1,442, become a better place for all. As past president Dianne Durda said, “It can grow. It’s pretty unique.” And indeed, it has. The Airdrie 1st Club is all about women coming together to improve and care for their community in any way we can.
In our first year, we launched the Holiday Hamper Program, which was initially called the Adopt-A-Family Program. Since then, with the support of local sponsors and public donations, we've been helping Airdrie citizens in need during the holidays. Before the pandemic, we collected food and gifts for children and adults, sometimes needing 6,000–8,000 sq. ft. to organize everything. During COVID, we adapted to ensure safety and switched to offering grocery gift cards. This format has continued, allowing us to address dietary needs and allergies, with the program now focused on gift card donations instead of food. We invite people, groups, or organizations to sponsor families, providing everything from gifts to grocery gift cards. While recipient identities remain confidential, general information about their ages and interests helps sponsors make their contributions more personal.
On top of this, we have major sponsors, public donations, and fundraising initiatives that help raise toys, gift cards, and financial contributions to fund the program. Every year, we support over 1,000 Airdrie citizens, with our 2022 program helping 600+ children and 600+ adults.
One of our first fundraising efforts was the annual pie sale. Original members Pat Delair and Joyce Lewis recall spending hours baking all kinds of pies (Saskatoon was especially popular) to sell at the annual trade show at the Plainsman Arena. Though we no longer offer the pie sale, it was an excellent team-building initiative, and we even used commercial kitchens to prepare hundreds of pies for the Home and Lifestyle Show.
Since its founding, the Airdrie 1st Club has supported numerous organizations in the community. Our dedication to helping Airdrie is ongoing, and we focus on people of all ages—children, teens, adults, and seniors. Our contributions include sponsoring pools at Genesis Place, supporting the Iron Horse Park birthday room, and providing a gas insert for the entryway at Bethany Care Centre. We’ve contributed to the Airdrie Public Library, school libraries, playgrounds, benches, and many other local causes. The Airdrie Food Bank has received funds for various programs, including Milk, Snack Attack, and Breakfast Programs, and we also provided money to help purchase new freezers/coolers. Inside the Food Bank, we sponsor the “Caring Closet,” where struggling parents can select a birthday gift for their child at no cost.
In 2008, under Dianne Durda's leadership, the Airdrie Lioness Hamper Foundation was formed as a non-profit charitable organization. This allowed us to raise funds for the Holiday Hamper Program and offer charitable donation receipts.
The Airdrie 1st Club has continued to evolve with new initiatives. In 2014, we launched the Blankets 4 Kids Program, where members use their time and talents to create blankets for those in need, including donations to the NICU and PICU units at Alberta Children’s Hospital, the Brenda Stafford House, The Children’s Cottage, and Bethany Care Society. 2015 we introduced the Helping Hands Hamper Program to support families facing loss or financial struggles throughout the year.
Since 1977, the Airdrie 1st Club has been dedicated to filling community needs to the best of our ability. This is made possible by the volunteer hours donated by our members and the financial support we receive through fundraising. The club has continued to grow and thrive as an essential part of Airdrie.
We welcome new members at any time. Fresh ideas and new energy are essential to our organization and programs. We are an inclusive, women-led organization, and there’s a place for you, no matter how much time you can contribute.
We meet on the first Thursday every month at 7 p.m. at the Airdrie Ag Centre (97 East Lake Ramp NE). For more information or to join, donate, or learn more, check out our Facebook page, email us at info@airdrie1st.com, or call us at 403-660-1569. We look forward to meeting you!