Kids in the community came out as the benefactor from Tuesday night’s 100+ Men Give A Damn event, a charity evening held at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna.
After hearing pitches from three community groups, the members of the 100 Men group voted and decided a $10,000 cheque would be presented to Courage for Youth (CFY), a non-profit that hosts a character building and relationship program that reaches over 500 youth each year in the Kelowna area.
The actual amount of the donation totalled closer to $14,000 after all was said and done, with the cheque reflecting the group’s name of 100+.
“What a night. Thank you for selecting Courage For Youth as the recipient of last night’s funds,” said an elated Gary Bucker, program director for Courage for Youth. “CFY is very thankful for the support of 100 Men to help with our scholarship fund which will allow 1,000 students to go through the program over the next three years. You are helping make more heroes like you.”
Tuesday night’s event was the 10th 100 Men Give a Damn Event with over 100 members in attendance.
“We have already seen a large number of cheques pile in from members not able to make last night’s event,” said Chris Wills, 100 Men representative.
Local nonprofit organizations gave a five-minute pitch to the room and last night members heard from the Kelowna SPCA and the Arthritis Foundation along with CFY.
“Each charity gave an incredible pitch for their cause and members in attendance confidentially voted on which charity would receive the funds,” said Wills. “Tallying the votes was challenging on this particular night as it was a very close call between the three. Once the voting was complete and in under an hour, Courage for Youth received a direct cash injection to put toward their amazing local cause in excess of $10,000.”
Canucks Autism Network (CAN) was the benefactor of the last event in August and join other past recipients such as CMHA Kelowna, Freedom’s Door, the Kelowna Food Bank, the Clubhouse Farm, Pathways Abilities Society and the Canadian Cancer Society.
“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.”
100 Men+ Give a Damn meets each quarter of the year before deciding which group to support.
Find our more about the organization here.
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