A group of citizens fundraising to rebuild the White Rock Pier says they’re on their way to their goal of $2 million.

“We’ve hit our first milestone,” said Bob Bezubiak, manager of the TD Bank in White Rock and chair of the group, Friends of the Pier, quoted on the organization’s website. “We’re ramping up our sales efforts now and we’re reaching out to businesses, realtors, service clubs, neighbourhoods and even schools and their PACs.”

The pier that extends off Marine Drive at the bottom of Martin Street was badly damaged in a storm last December. Strong winds pushed a boat into the pier and an entire section was entirely destroyed. It’s remained closed ever since.

In May, the province announced it would give $1 million to the pier’s renovation. But that still left the municipality to come up with the bulk of the cash that’s needed.

Friends of the Pier’s plan is to “sell” the individual wood planks that will eventually be used to rebuild the structure at an inflated price of $1,000 each. That will help the group cover construction costs. Each plank purchased will bear the name of its donor.

“Anyone can buy a plank and put their name on it as a way of showing their support and community spirit,” the group’s website reads.

“The pier was originally built in 1914, but the storm damage last December was so severe that the whole pier needs to be replaced to meet modern building standards and codes,” it explains. “But it will still have a wooden plank deck and that’s where buying a plank for the pier comes in. Every dollar from every plank goes towards building the pier because our volunteer committee has made sure there are no overhead or administrative costs associated with our fundraising.”