After hearing pitches from three charities on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 1, the organization 100 Women Who Care voted to give their $10,000-plus donation to Creative Kids - Battlefords chapter.
100 Women Who Care is an organization founded in the U.S. with chapters in a number of different cities. The premise of 100 Women Who Care events is that 100 women each donate $100 and after hearing pitches from charities, vote on which charity should get the entire donation. There are four such events in North Battleford each year at Empress Furniture and Decor.
Creative Kids is a charity that raises money to help with arts education for children and youth of the ages of four to 19. It is similar to KidSport but directed toward art-oriented activities, such as art classes, music lessons, dance and theatre.
Christine McCulloch presented on the part of Creative Kids.
“A little bit of funding can change the entire life of a child,” McCulloch said as part of her speech.
The other charities that gave pitches were North Battleford Transitional Housing Initiative and Battlefords Air Cadets
Roni Zakresky, a founder of the North Battleford chapter of 100 Women Who Care, said the event went well. At this event, 100 Women members were allowed to bring a guest. The event also hosted women from Lloydminster who Zakresky said wanted to start their own 100 Women Who Care chapter and “get some pointers from us.”
A former recipient of the 100 Women Who Care donation was The Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords, whose representatives were in attendance to explain what the organization did with the money it received.
Zakresky said the evening was “feel-good” and “you feel like you are part of a group that’s making a difference.”
“It's a great way to be involved with the community and for those ladies that don't have a lot of time to devote to charity, it’s a win-win,” Zakresky said. “Theres a benefit on both sides. Just being a member you are exposed to what’s going on in your community and the works of those charities.”
Zakresky said the group’s motto is “transforming compassion into action.”
The next 100 Women Who Care event will take place on May 10 at Empress Furniture and Decor.
