A donation from the Kiwanis Club of Orillia will go toward child abuse prevention.
The club has committed $15,000 over two years to the Child Advocacy Centre Simcoe Muskoka (CACSM).
The CACSM was “the perfect fit” for the donation, said Orillia Kiwanis president Peter Head.
“It’s the Kiwanis mandate to help children around the world, but the Kiwanis Club of Orillia wants to help children in the community first,” he said Friday at the CACSM on West Street North, where he and Steve Van Kessel, director and chair of the Kiwanis Mammoth Auction committee, presented a cheque.
The annual auction, the club’s biggest fundraiser, is what makes donations like this one possible, Head said.
Last year’s event raised about $100,000. This year’s auction will take place in November at ODAS Park. Watch for updates on the club’s website and Facebook page.
The CACSM often visits schools and community organizations to help raise awareness of its services. Friday’s donation will help with those efforts.
“We don’t get any sustainable government funding, but it’s important that we continue to do that,” said Louise Jones, the CACSM’s fund development manager. “It’s going to affect hundreds of kids.”
The Kiwanis club and the CACSM have been working together for a while. They partner on the Kiwanis Children’s Safety Village, a mobile unit that engages children in an interactive experience while educating them on how to stay safe in many ways.
“That’s all about awareness so that the kids know (the CACSM) is here,” said Head.
“As those resources come to the community, that’s when we look to have them represented,” added Van Kessel.
Sun City Swim
The Sun City Swim will take place Aug. 11.
The annual fundraiser will benefit the Child Advocacy Centre Simcoe Muskoka.
Want to get involved? Find out more here.
