The city’s biggest gala event was stopped dead in its tracks by the global COVID-19 pandemic, but the organizers adapted quickly and moved the fundraising online.
The Kal Rotary Club had to move its Dream Auction fundraiser online and in only six weeks, has collected nearly $70,000 in donations.
This weekend, the club will have one last push to reach their $250,000 goal with a wrap-up celebration and drive-thru donation collection at Kal Tire Head Office Parking Lot Saturday, Nov. 21, from 2-4 p.m.
For the past 35 years, Kalamalka Rotary’s Dream Auction has raised more than $4,440,000 and 100 per cent of those donations funded local organizations that support families in the Vernon community and around the world.
“We have used these funds to feed children in the North Okanagan through the Starfish Backpack Program, build waterparks, skateboard parks and bike trails, funded hospital towers and low-income housing, fund and facilitated kitchen renovations and transportation for those in need and supported countless other important projects,” Kal Rotary president Dustin Stadnyk said in a statement.
But those funds also extended past Canadian borders to help provide clean water and jobs in Haiti and build schools in Nepal and Ethiopia, to name a few.
The Rotary said although it can’t host its beloved event in its typical format due to provincial health orders, the need for the service club’s resources has only grown.
“Now, more than ever, Kal Rotary is committed to finding ways to continue to build strong communities,” Dream Fund chairman Brian Reid said. “We’re asking those who have supported us over the years and community members to donate to our online Dream Fund.
“If we are to help so many in need, we will need your support,” he said. “Please donate what you can. Every dollar makes an impact.”
The GoFundMe campaign, Kalamalaka Rotary Dream Fund 2020, will be accepting donations until Nov. 21, and the club has a $250,000 goal.
READ MORE: Bidding lively at Vernon’s Kal Rotary Dream Auction
READ MORE: Starfish Pack back in Vernon schools
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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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