OLDS — Organizers are thrilled by the response to a radiothon held to raise funds for an emergency shelter for the area.
The shelter, which would be operated by the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society (MVESS), would be a safe place for people fleeing domestic violence to stay.
The radiothon was held May 12 on 96.5 CKFM and was hosted by Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate.
It raised $35,775 that day, according to MVESS president Joe Carignan, and donations are still coming in.
Radiothon organizers had hoped to raise $50,000. Carignan and Clare Dickie, office manager/owner Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate, figure they’ll end up raising at least $40,000.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Dickie said, adding a lot of big donations came from anonymous donors “and they came from all corners (of the world).”
If you want to donate to the cause, visit rlp.ca/radiothon or call Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate at 403-556-6500.
In addition, the Kiwanis Club of Olds is hosting a 50/50 fundraising raffle for the project until June 6. The draw will be held June 8.
As of May 13, that fundraiser had raised $2,200. If you’d like to donate to the raffle, visit https://www2.rafflebox.ca/raffle/oldskiwanis.
When interviewed earlier, Carignan figured $300,000 to $400,000 would be needed in order to start construction of the emergency shelter.
He said as a result of various previous fundraisers, the society was about halfway toward that goal.
Another big step occurred last week when a lease was signed with the Town of Olds for land (0.64 of an acre) at the south end of 50th Avenue in Olds where it meets 54th Street. Carignan says the official address is 5001 - 54th Street.
He’s hoping construction can begin next spring.
Carignan is grateful for the radiothon and the people who donated to it.
“(I'm) very appreciative, very thankful, very happy that the people came together and donated,” he said, adding the donations were pretty impressive, given the economic toll that COVID and low oil and gas prices have had on the county.
Carignan was also impressed with the way the community pitched in to make the radiothon such a success.
“We had the sponsors step forward and the auction items. We had people come out from the community. I mean we had one to answer phones, one from Cremona, one from Bowden, the Kiwanis members here. So the support was excellent," he said.
“We couldn’t have done it without all the local people and the local sponsors. Everybody stepped up and assisted in this. We’re very happy and appreciative.”
Carignan and Dickie admitted May 12 was a long day as a result of the radiothon. It ran from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“It was good; it was all worth it,” Carignan said.
