Image Credit: 100 Men Who Give a Damn
August 12, 2015 - 3:30 PM
KELOWNA – The success of the 100 Men Who Give a Damn!, a group of men who want to give back to their community but have limited time, has grown to 210 members and counting. On Wednesday, August 5th, over 140 members in attendance had the opportunity to hear pitches from three local charities – Project Literacy, Launch Kelowna, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Each of the three charities “pitched” their causes for 5 minutes, sharing with the group what their charity is all about and how the money would be spent in the community. At the end of the brief presentations, a vote was held and the Canadian Mental Health Association was selected to be the first recipient from the 100 Men Who Give a Damn!
“The initial gathering of the group was outstanding. The pitches from the charities raised awareness for all three organizations and the feeling of giving was alive in the room” stated Kelowna 100 men co-founder Brett Millard.
Chris Wills, co-founder, added that “with over 140 of our 210 members present the event was an amazing success providing an opportunity to socialize and hear the great work of three local charities. In less than 60 minutes, approximately $18,000 was raised”
“The funds CMHA Kelowna received from the event will directly support 30 young people to attend Ready to Rent, a group that helps individuals build the skills and gain knowledge on how to find and maintain rental housing. By being able to offer Ready to Rent in Kelowna, people who haven’t had access to good role models, learn the ins and outs of being a good tenant which really are tools for life. We are so grateful to the 100 Men Who Give a Damn. It’s a brilliant concept. Not only are they changing lives through their generosity, they are building community” says Shelagh Turner, Executive Director, CMHA Kelowna.
The next event will be held on Wednesday Nov. 4, 2015, at Bottega Inn & Studio. Three new charities will be randomly selected from a pool of all nominated charities 30 days in advance of the next meeting. The selected charities must meet the group’s three basic criteria; they must be CRA registered, must be in existence for at least one year and the money raised must be injected back into the local community.
The 100 Men non-organization was founded in Halifax, Canada. The first meeting was held in February 2014, by the original group of men who gave a damn. The founding chapter has grown to over 350 members, and more than 25 new 100 Men chapters have begun to give a damn throughout North America.
If you want to join the group, you can find the registration page at www.100menkelowna.com/join.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015