The generosity of Foothills residents pushed the Western Wheel Cares charity campaign to new heights.
The annual campaign raised $42,520.75 for 2015, a significant jump over the previous year’s total of $34,137.
Over the past four years, the Wheel Cares campaign has raised approximately $137,428.
Western Wheel publisher Matt Rockley said he is overwhelmed by the generosity of donors this year in the face of so much economic turmoil and uncertainty.
“It was incredible, it was just amazing to see the level of support from people and groups of people in the community,” he said. “We thought, with the downturn in the economy right now, that donations might’ve been a little bit less this year with their being less disposable income. But, everybody stepped up and came out.”
The funds will be split evenly between five charities with $8,504.15 going to the Okotoks Food Bank, the Rowan House Emergency Shelter, The Foothills Country Hospice, the Sheep River Health Trust and the Magic of Christmas.
The Western Wheel covers all administrative and promotional costs associated with the charity fund. As a result, every cent raised is passed directly on to the five charities.
Donations were accepted at the Western Wheel office, at the till at Okotoks Sobeys and online through PayPal through the months of November and December.
The Wheel Cares campaign also expanded the number of charities it supported this year, adding a fifth, compared to the four organizations chosen last year.
In fact, Rockley revealed no one was turned away as the campaign received five applications to participate this year from the five recipients.
“We thought it was important to go with the five charities and ultimately it was every charity that put in a request for Wheel Cares funding,” he said.
Rockley said it’s a tremendous milestone to break the $100,000 mark.
“I know that when my dad (former Western Wheel publisher Paul Rockley) started this he mentioned that one day Western Wheel Cares could do a fundraising total in the community of $50,000.”
Rockley believes the Wheel Cares campaign has grown and become established as a valued part of the Foothills community at Christmas time.
“It’s certainly recognized as a trusted fundraising campaign, I heard many positive comments that 100 per cent of the money donated is directed to the charities,” he said.
Rockley is now looking forward to the 2016 holiday season with the hopes the Wheel Cares program will continue to build on its record in support of foothills charities.
Sheila Hughes, Okotoks Food Bank executive director, said this year’s donations to the Wheel Cares fund are yet another example of how willing the Okotoks community is to opens its hearts and wallets to support people in need.
“It never ceases to amaze me,” she said.
She said all the food bank’s share of donations will go towards feeding local families in need. She said the number of families using the food bank rose by 48 per cent in 2015, over the previous year.
“I can probably safely say that the funds will be mainly spent on purchasing food, our more expensive perishable item like meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit,” she said. “Those are the things we’ll concentrate on.”
Hospice executive director Dawn Elliott said it will be able to cross a few items off its wish-list with its share of the donations, including slings for a mechanical lift, a set of bumper pads for beds, new casters for eight patients beds and repairs to vinyl flooring in the main floor hallway.
“Whatever residual we have left we could put towards the purchase of a patient bed,” she said.
She said there a number of things that need to be replaced due to regular wear-and-tear after the facility opened in 2008 and the Wheel Cares funds will be a great help to address their needs.
“Some of our items are getting a little tired and need replacement, so as things come up we put them on our wish-list,” she said.
