Okotoks’ mayor is challenging the community to support the Okotoks United Way at a jail-and-bail event this weekend.
Mayor Bill Robertson and Logan Coutts of The Eagle 100.9 will be “locked up” in the back of a pick-up truck at Hub Town Brewing on Oct. 3 to collect donations for the Okotoks United Way. Robertson is putting up $100 of his own money and issued a challenge to other municipal councillors to match his donation.
“The United Way is such an important organization within our community, sort of an umbrella of agencies that are necessary for the health and welfare of the community,” said Robertson. “All essential services that assist the less fortunate often in our community and very important work.
“If you’re able to donate some funds, that would be fantastic.”
His challenge came on the heels of a report from Okotoks United Way committee member Cindy Gibson at the Sept. 28 council meeting, which indicated a lack of funding for the 2019-2020 year due to COVID-19.
In 2019, the United Way worked with McDonald’s, the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club, Sobeys and Town staff to raise a total of $11,074, which in combination with funds received from the Calgary United Way branch totalled about $85,000 to be distributed between eight Okotoks-based agencies, she said. This included two new agencies in addition to organizations previously supported.
“We were pretty privileged to be able to give out those funds,” said Gibson. “The unfortunate side is our fundraising for 2020 has been extremely limited, simply because of no gatherings, and struggling with what to do and how to get there and get our name out there.”
October marks campaign month for United Way, and Gibson said they’ll be kicking off their major fundraising campaign with the jail-and-bail event with the help of Hub Town.
She’s hoping to realize the generosity of the community, because at this point the amount of dollars United Way will be able to distribute in the new year won’t be nearly as much as in the past – not only due to minimal local fundraising abilities, but the impact to the greater organization that will reduce the amount of funding received from Calgary.
United Way in Okotoks supports organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Christ the Redeemer and Foothills School Divisions through their connections and outreach school programs, the Foothills Children’s Wellness Network, Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society, the Inclusion Foothills Association, Rowan House Emergency Shelter’s community-based preventative education programs, and new this year, McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association.
“It’s particularly geared toward adolescent mental health groups, working with people who struggle with mental health,” said Gibson.
