100 Guys Who Care, a team of local benefactors, has selected Front Line Outreach at their latest quarterly meeting to receive at least $11,000, which will go towards their Camp Dakota initiative, sending over 150 kids to summer camp.
Oakville Golf Club hosted the latest meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, where three charities presented their pitches. Before each event, members suggest various charities, and three are selected for presentation.
At the gathering, three members advocate for their chosen charity, and then all attendees vote to decide which charity will receive the evening's donations.
Tuesday's event also featured a presentation from Stephen Rowe, President of Oakville's Fare Share Food Bank, who received $11,350 from 100 Guys Who Care in December 2023.
Read more here: Inaugural gathering of 100 Guys Who Care Oakville raises thousands for charity
Rowe shared how their donation supported the food bank as they face record-breaking demand. "With that money and our buying power, we were able to feed 40 families of four for a month, so that's 160 people who would not have been fed if it wasn't for that donation," Rowe told Oakville News.
Every member is required to donate a minimum of $100 quarterly. With the pooled investment, all the funding goes to a new charity after each meeting.
The three charities who pitched at Tuesday's meeting were:
- Front Line Outreach
- Wellspring Cancer Support
- Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF)
After the three presentations and a tight vote, Front Line Outreach was chosen as the winner.
Front Line Outreach pitched their Camp Dakota initiative, which, according to the company's website, is an outreach program serving children and youth who live in subsidized, low-income housing communities. The summer day camp program will run in Halton Region and five sites in Toronto beginning next month (July).
According to CEO of Front Line Outreach, Ron Shantz, a donation of $10,000 would allow 130 kids to attend Camp Dakota for eight weeks.
"It's a game changer and a tipping point in their lives often," said Shantz. "We don't turn any kid away that we can safely care for. We've got staff that are trained in special needs, whether it's acute ADHD or on the autism spectrum, and we've found that it's a safe place for kids to learn."
The exact amount of funds raised is still to be determined as donations continue to roll in. The deadline for contributions is Saturday, June 29, 2024, and funds are being accepted through the 100 Guys Who Care website.
As of Tuesday's event, the group only knew that they had raised over $10,000. As of Thursday, the total was said to be around $11,000, meaning an estimate of over 150 kids will now be able to attend Camp Dakota.