The group 100 Men Who Give a Damn! have raised approximately $150,000 for local charities since its inception – and last week they selected the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) to receive more than $10,000 for their adapted sports and recreation programs in Kelowna.
Hosted at the recently completed Porsche Kelowna dealership, 100 Men Who Give a Damn!—a group of men motivated to give back to their community—voted on three local charities after hearing a five-minute pitch from each organization. In under an hour, the members voted to award funding in funding to CAN’s “I CAN Swim” program, which operates out of the Parkinson Recreation Centre in Kelowna.
“We are incredibly thankful for the financial support of 100 Men Who Give a Damn in Kelowna,” said Kayla Ungaro, regional coordinator for Canucks Autism Network. “This funding will allow us to continue delivering our adapted swim program, ensuring that children with autism are safe in the water and enjoying an active lifestyle within their community.”
“The attendance at each event and the continued support for our local community continues to amaze me,” stated 100 Men Who Give a Damn Kelowna’s co-founder Brett Millard. “We saw 15 new members in the days leading up to this event and will likely see another 12-20 join immediately after.”
Chris Wills, co-founder of 100 Men Who Give a Damn Kelowna, added that membership in the group is simple.
“The members love the fact that the concept is so simple,” he said. “There are no additional requests for time or monetary donations. All that is requested when a member signs up is their commitment to the community of four hours and $400 per year, that’s it”.
In addition to the prestigious backdrop of the Porsche Kelowna dealership, Joey’s Kelowna provided complimentary food and drinks for those attending.