After 63 three years of service, the Royal Purple of Espanola has disbanded. Over the decades the women belonging to the group helped many charitable causes with donations. In its heyday, the Royal Purple had more than 50 members but the numbers dropped over the years and now there are only eight members. As its final act, the Royal Purple handed out nearly $18,000 to various groups including $5,400 to the Espanola Regional Hospital Foundation. Another $4,000 was awarded to the Northern Cancer Foundation as work continues to buy a PET scan for the north. The group also wrote a cheque for $3,400 for the Espanola Helping Hand Food bank with smaller amounts going to several other groups.
