We just cannot stop smiling! This is all thanks to donors like you, and the incredible kick-off to our Serving Smiles campaign, which is raising funds to renovate six kitchen serveries and replace two industrial fridges at Veterans Memorial Lodge.
We made headline news thanks to our partnership with CHEK TV, Black Press, and Country Grocer. Our first ever phone-a-thon during a live broadcast of The Upside with CHEK TV Hosts Ed Bain and Jeff King saw more than 200 donors calling in, raising $40,500 in just two hours! A generous gift from an anonymous donor matched every gift up to $15,000. We are so grateful!
From community BBQ fundraisers and At the Till campaigns at Esquimalt and Royal Oak Country Grocer locations, to generous donations from our donors, more than $100,000 has been raised. This brings us two-thirds of the way to our goal of $150,000! This is such good news it’s no wonder we can’t stop smiling from ear to ear!
The campaign continues and we hope to raise all the funds we need by year’s end. These kitchen areas are vital to Veterans Memorial Lodge because dining rooms are the gathering places where residents share meals and social time with their friends and neighbours. Years of wear and tear, and increased cleaning protocols have left their mark. Our kitchen areas are now in urgent need of repair.