Stuart Lang, member of Kelowna’s Sunrise Rotary Club created the Season of Giving Calendar as a way to raise funds for children in need.
Although the calendars are popular in some parts of Europe, this year is the first time they are being launched in the Okanagan.
“The unique factor lies in the fact that, like an advent calendar, you're opening the days through December but instead of chocolates, there’s local prizes that have been donated from local businesses,” says Lang.
The planning for this project started in 2019, with around 80 volunteers working together to source 261 prizes from businesses all across the Okanagan, that total over $60,000.
The prizes are a concoction of all kinds of prizes from all kinds of businesses in the Okanagan such as golf, ski packages, boating, a flight from WestJet and more.
The goal is to raise double that amount, $120,000 for local kids in need.
Lang says he got the idea after the Rotary Club sent him on an exchange trip to Germany , where the calendars were popular and had raised a lot of money for the community.
“I was an exchange student after I graduated from Kelowna Secondary School in 2007. When I was visiting my host parents in 2019, on their fridge was one of these unique fundraising calendars.”
Lang expresses he was grateful to the Rotary Club for sending him on this exchange trip and so he decided to bring this concept back from Germany as a gift and a fun method to raise funds.
Every year, the club has a different focus on who will be receiving their contributions, this year that category is reserved for children.
“I am really happy to see the Child Advocacy Centre of Kelowna and the KGH Foundation Neonatal care unit as being the areas of focus for this particular calendar.”
The calendar was made with 100% recycled material, and in terms of the artwork- it was painted and donated by an artist who creates pieces for causes in need.
“Dale Dirks made this piece of art which features a Canadian hockey game, some players enjoying the winter scene. This is a horizon everyone can look at and think of the holiday season.”
The calendars are available at Save On Foods starting this Saturday, Oct. 23 until Nov. 26.
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