Nanaimo Child Development Centre cashed in on its biggest fundraising event of the year on the weekend.
The Nanaimo Child Development Centre Telethon was hosted at the Port Theatre on Sunday when the entertainment lineup and fundraising campaign combined with donation presentations made during the eight-hour long event for total of $241,383.
A substantial amount of the total was generated from the Big Kahuna Golf Classic held at Pryde Vista Golf Course with dinner at the Nanaimo Curling Centre, Sept. 15, which raised more than $152,300 that was presented during the telethon.
The telethon total also included more than $16,200 raised in an Alair Homes raffle for a home renovation valued at $30,000.
Shirley Worrall, raffle winner, was presented with her prize Tuesday and said when she was notified she’d won, she started running through her mental wish list of improvements she’d like to make around the house.
“I thought about a kitchen. I thought about some new doors that I badly need, laminate flooring … just the kitchen I’m thinking. I’ll have to find out more,” she said.
Tracy Berg, in charge of Nanaimo CDC resource development, said the Big Kahuna Classic has surpassed the Silly Boat Regatta as the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser event.
“Actually the Big Kahuna Classic has surpassed Silly Boat now, so it’s our biggest fundraiser,” Berg said.
Money presented at the telethon will support CDC costs that aren’t covered through government funding, but programs and large capital expenditures, such as building repairs and programs, rely on donated money.
“There’s a couple of programs that are fundraised,” said Dominic Rockall, CDC executive director. “We have a summer camp program for children with special needs … The fundraising goes to that program and it allows us to do parent support groups and bring in experts to help talk to parents about various things.”
Other items, such as equipment used for physical therapy programs that wear out and have to be replaced, are also paid for through fundraising.
“That stuff costs a fortune, so that stuff we have to use fundraised money for,” Rockall said.
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