More than 800 people are reported to have answered the call from an anonymous donor who sought to match funds received for the Okanagan rail trail project.
The anonymous donor originally put forward the idea of matching up to $50,000 in donations received between July 1 and July 10. Within three days, $33,000 of that sum was received.
READ MORE: Unknown donor willing to put $50,000 towards Okanagan Rail Trail
As a result of the rapid growth of the fundraising total, the anonymous donor doubled the matching challenge to $100,000.
What’s being called by ambassadors of the rail trail project as the Canada Day Matching Funds Challenge, ended up bringing in a total of $225, 211.
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On top of that, two north Okanagan residents, Don and Cathy Archibald, decided to help.
Between the Archibalds and the original donor, $450,422 will be provided for the construction of the rail trail.
“This trail will help shape the future of this valley and provide an incredible legacy for our communities,” Don Archibald said in a news release.
“We need to do all we can to ensure this trail gets built as soon as possible to allow us all to enjoy the benefits.”
The donations are being collected by the Community Foundation of North Okanagan and the Central Okanagan Foundation.
The campaign is being run by a group of residents, rail trail supporters and businesses who want to see the project move forward.
A total of $700,000 has been raised through the campaign, which organizers say will fund nearly four-and-a-half kilometres of the trail construction.
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