Calgarians opened up their pocketbooks for children’s charities of all sizes on Pledge Day, donating more than $177,000 on Friday.
Calgary Children’s Foundation chair John Vos said the total was “spectacular,” adding “we started the day with nothing.”
“When you think about it, they’re not all huge donations, right? It’s $50, it’s $100, it’s $25 and so many of them are heartfelt because (donors) know the work that we tried to do.”
The annual fundraiser for the Calgary Children’s Foundation was the second to be hosted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listeners of Global News Radio 770 CHQR heard stories from a variety of charities.
Curbside concerts were hosted by Kids Up Front and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Children at risk received proactive mental health and mentoring support from the Multi Agency School Support Team.
Youth with substance abuse problems were provided help by the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre.
Mothers struggling to provide milk for their newborns were backed by NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank.
Work on human trafficking awareness and intervention has advanced with Not In My City.
“And because of the great donations that are coming in through this event as well,” Paul Brandt, country music artist and Not In My City’s founder, said Friday.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek lauded the strong spirit of philanthropy and volunteerism, and noted that the prolonged pandemic has hit charity revenues especially hard.
“Children’s charities right now are so desperately in need,” the mayor said. “Our kids have gone through so much during the pandemic, so I’m so glad we’re highlighting it today.”
“The Calgary Children’s Foundation is such an important organization. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get the word out, we wouldn’t be able to educate people on the number of kids’ charities that are doing such great work in our city, and it’s really their ability to act as an umbrella organization that’s really important for us.”
Last year’s total of $290,000 went to 28 charities.
Applications for funding will open in the new year, with disbursement expected in the spring.
Donations to the Calgary Children’s Foundation are still being accepted on the foundation’s website.