Tag Archive for: Shawnigan Lake

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Over 1000 Christmas Trees Chipped for Charity

Easter Seals’ Chip In for the Kids Tree Recycle raised over $16,000.

Vancouver Island, B.C. – January 18, 2023: Easter Seals BC/Yukon’s 33rd annual Christmas tree recycling fundraiser, Chip In for the Kids, took place last weekend and raised over $16,000 for Camp Shawnigan, a local summer camp for children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities.

“The rain didn’t stop people from showing up, we had a great turn out again this year with over 1000 trees being recycled,” says Shannon Bernays, Manager of Community Partnerships at Easter Seals. “It’s a fun community event and with the help of volunteers from Competition Tree Service, Davey Tree Services and local Lions Clubs, we were able to raise much needed funds to support our overnight summer program at Camp Shawnigan.”

Over 1000 trees were dropped off at seven Vancouver Island locations from Victoria to Duncan, including Shawnigan Lake and Mill Bay.

“This fundraiser is in its 33rd year, and we’re so thankful for the continued support and donations that come from our community, so that kids and adults with disabilities such as autism, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy, can take a week away from their medical appointments and treatments, and have just a week of fun, summer camp activities,” adds Bernays. “It’s such an amazing week for our campers and we couldn’t do it without the donations and support that come from our community.”

Easter Seals will be running five weeks of overnight camp this July and August for children and adults with disabilities between the ages of 6 to 49. Registration opens online February 13th and you can find more information or make a donation at www.eastersealsbcy.ca.

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100 Men Who Care Cowichan Valley Donate to Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan

(Photo: Jaap Zwaan, Lisa Beck, Matthuw Ronald-Jones)

Cowichan, B.C. (July 26, 2022): Local chapter of 100 Men Who Care, Cowichan Valley, have picked their latest local charity to support, and this week, Matthuw Ronald-Jones, who nominated Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan, presented them with a cheque in the amount of $10,210.

“Easter Seals is an organization that has been in our community since 1976 when the camp first opened to serve children, youth and adults with diverse abilities on Shawnigan Lake. Each summer they host over 200 campers in a space that is inclusive and accessible, giving individuals with diverse abilities the chance to have a unique camp experience,” Ronald-Jones explains. “We see the impact that organizations like Easter Seals have on the families in the Cowichan Valley, and I’m so thrilled we could acknowledge their great work with a donation from 100 Men Who Care.”

100 Men Who Care is a philanthropic group of local men who are interested in supporting their community by contributing to charities together as a group to increase the donation impact. It’s designed to make an immediate and positive difference.

At each of the quarterly meetings, members nominate charities, three are chosen at random, and after a brief presentation, the members vote on which charity to support. Once the winning charity is announced, everyone writes a $100 cheque to that charity.

“We would like to thank Matthuw Ronald-Jones for nominating Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan and sharing our charity’s work with his fellow club members. He has been such a wonderful supporter of our organization,” says Lisa Beck, President and CEO of Easter Seals BC/Yukon. “It was a wonderful surprise to find out that we were the chosen recipient of their latest generous contributions. These men, who come together just four times a year, make such a big difference in their community, and we are so grateful for the support and opportunities that this donation will give our campers.”

The next 100 Men Who Care’s meeting will be held on September 12 where they will pick another local charity to benefit.

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About Easter Seals BC/Yukon and BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities
Easter Seals BC/Yukon is one of British Columbia’s legacy charities and is operated by the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities (Society) to help individuals with diverse abilities. Since 1947, the Society has provided programs and services to families and persons with diverse abilities that help improve their quality of life. Over 75 years, the Society has helped over 1,000,000 families in need through transportation services, child health research, Easter Seals summer camps, Easter Seals House, post-secondary bursaries at seven regional colleges or universities, community access services, and patient care programs.