The United Way Alberta Northwest and the Rotaract Club of Grande Prairie are hoping an upcoming casino-themed fundraiser will help kick start a series of fundraisers that would be close to pre-pandemic normals.
The March 5th “Chips for Charity” event will offer up what organizers call a mega poker tournament, with proceeds going to charities across the region.
United Way Alberta Northwest Resource Development Manager Tracy Zuk says while similar events have been held in the past, it’s been a long time since they’ve been able to plan for a larger scale fundraiser. However, she says they’re cautiously optimistic about further restrictions being lifted in time for Chips for Charity.
“With COVID-19, and everything we’ve had to deal with over the last two years, it’s really made not only us, but other non-profits in the community to think outside the box so this is really fun, and exciting way to do something,” she says.
“We are going to have to wait and see what happens over the next two weeks, I know there is anticipation on March 1st of something happening.”
Zuk says in recent months, they’ve been close to holding events, but, due to circumstances out of their control, were forced to downsize or postpone events due to changes in COVID-19 restrictions. She adds with things looking good for March 5th, the hope is the organization will get back to a more predictable schedule for not only events. but for handing out funds to non-profits across the region.
“It’s a huge area we cover with a very small team, the majority of the programs and things we fund are in our immediate region, but we do have programs elsewhere, so the reach is huge,” she adds.
You can find more information, including links to register for Chips for Charity here.
Editors Note: The original version of this article referred to the event as “Chips for Change” rather than “Chips For Charity. We apologize for the mistake in the name, and for any confusion it may have caused.