A new initiative in the Bulkley Valley aims to raise money for local charities by bringing a group of women together.
The group is called 100 Women Who Care Bulkley Valley and was developed to make a positive impact on the community.
The aim is for the group to meet for an hour and select three local charities or not-for-profit organizations. Every woman writes a $100 cheque to the cause. Together, the group can give up to a $10,000 donation.
While the group is relatively new in the Bulkley Valley, the idea is not. The first 100 Women Who Care group was formed in 2006 in a city in Michigan. At their first one-hour meeting, the group raised $10,000 to buy 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. Since then, chapters have popped up all over North America.
The Bulkley Valley chapter held two events last year.
The first one in June saw just under 40 women come out. That event raised $3,780 for the Community Cancer Team, Northern Society for Domestic Peace and the Northwest Animal Shelter.
“The idea is you get together and the nominations are narrowed down to three people or groups [previously by the board] and those people make a presentation to the group of women,” board member Joscelyn Krauskopf said.
“All the women vote and the money is given away that evening so the charities know right away how much they are leaving with. If they get the most votes, they get 50 per cent of the funds that night, the second highest number of votes get 30 per cent and the third place gets 20 per cent, so everyone gets something.”
The second event was held last Dec. 21 with a few more women coming out and $4,600 raised. The SSS Grub Hub program got $2,300, $1,280 was given to Annie Patrick to help rebuild her home after it was destroyed in a fire and Meals on Wheels received $920.
“I got involved because I thought it was a great opportunity to give back, especially to those that don’t have access to charitable funds,” said Krauskopf.
“They don’t need to have a charitable number, we are able to give away to individuals, too. There is no red tape — here is the money and do what you need to do with it.”
The next one is scheduled for May but a date and location have not yet been finalized. However, registration is now open.
A link to register can be found on the group’s Facebook page or more information can be found by emailing 100womenbv@gmail.com.