$263,000 was handed out to non-profits, including Camp Tamarack, Northwest Alberta Association, and Grande Prairie Pipes and Drums, as part of the proceeds from the Swan City Rotary Club’s 2023 Cash and Camping lottery.
In addition to non-profits being allocated funding, this years lottery saw $1 from every Cash and Camping ticket sold to the Northwestern Alberta Emergency Recovery Fund to help with wildfire recovery efforts which could include mental health support, rebuilding, and community programming.
Swan City Rotary Club President Jerry Napier says knowing how difficult the road has been for non-profits across the region in recent years, it’s an honour to be able to help give back whatever they can. He adds the community, as always, has shown their support in innumerable ways.
“Sometimes we get a little sweaty-palmed when we get close to the end, but Grande Prairie, the community comes through in the end” he says. “We found the same thing with the food drive that we did, the lotteries are no different. People come through for us, and we’re grateful for that, absolutely.”
Napier says raising a quarter of a million dollars is no easy feat, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of so many organizations throughout northwestern Alberta.
“When you look at the magnitude of the organizations that get involved with this, we are able to bring them in as partners. The amount of different groups we are involved with, it’s throughout the community, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Cheques were handed out to the non-profits at at event in Grande Prairie on Wednesday.