The children pored through the books as if playing Where’s Waldo.
But it was not Waldo they were searching for in those pages, it was themselves.
Kids and parents from across the valley gathered in Kelowna Sunday afternoon for the launch of the book Children of the Okanagan.
The book features more than 100 kids from around the valley; each picture was taken to capture the child’s personality.
Portrait sessions are often expensive but Kelowna photographer Liz Soergel waived her normal $200 fee, instead asking parents to donate $100 to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation.
Soergel’s daughter Lauren is the reason why the book was a fundraiser for the hospital.
Lauren is a perfectly normal five-year-old now but she did require neo-natal care after her birth.
The experience left an impression on her mother.
“It just made me realize how important it is to have that kind of care and those kidns of facilities in our community,” Soergel said.
The photographer decided to give back to the hospital through her photography and her book has raised more than $13,000 dollars for the KGH foundation.
“The donation is targeted towards children’s equipment, care and comfort,” said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation.
“It is just an absolutely fantastic book. It is a great contribution to the foundation,” he said.
Parents applaud that the project helps those in the community.
“I think it is really great,” said Sharon Lawrence, whose young son is featured in the book. “He was a baby in the NIC-U here for four or five weeks so anything that helps, I’m all for it.”
“What Liz is trying to promote is the fundraising for KGH, something that is very much needed in the community,” said Genoa Katz, whose twins Ariel and Elia are in the book.
Soergel plans to make a new book with the proceeds going to the KGH Foundation every two years.
The Children of the Okanagan is available at Mosaic Books in downtown Kelowna; all the profits from the sale of the book go directly to the KGH Foundation.
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