A Kelowna company held a fundraiser in a backyard to raise funds for the Kelowna Foundry and remove barriers to mental health.
The event, titled “Let’s Build Longer Tables, Not Bigger Fences,” hosted by Innov8 Digital Solutions, raised over $ 40,000 for Foundry Kelowna and the Canadian Mental Health Association on July 12, and featured music by Scotty Berg, a 12-year-old Kelowna singer and country star Aaron Pritchett.
“The message was really about treating mental health like any other illness. to support people who are struggling, ”said Katia Brosseau, director of marketing and customer service at Innov8. “We had arranged all the tables in a long structure. Let’s build longer tables, not bigger fences, and support people with mental illnesses, just as we do people with other illnesses. “
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Katia and her husband Andre Brosseau, President of Innov8, hosted the fundraiser in the back yard of their Kelowna home. Katia said when the donations came it was a ripple effect.
“The crowd was asked to raise $ 20,000 to receive an additional $ 10,000 from an anonymous donor. (Innov8) sponsored all ticket sales and 130 people attended the sold out event. This amazing group of friends individually donated $ 1,000, ”she said.
“We only had a few thousand, and Andre’s Stiefel walked around the crowd trying to hit the $ 20,000 goal. Then Jillian Harris texted me to reach our goal with another $ 1,000. We made it! Another anonymous donation of $ 5,000 came in right after that, and we total $ 40,000. An incredible magical night. “
The Kelowna Foundry recently moved to a makeshift home at Central School after a July 9 fire shut the center down. Katia said this event was already planned at the time of the fire.
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“The next day I had a gentleman write to me that until that night he had never spoken to anyone about his mental illness. He just felt so relaxed, ”said Katia. “It was such a relaxed and open atmosphere. That is the goal. “
For more information on Foundry Kelowna and Innov8 Digital Solutions, visit their websites.
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