In just 10 short days the Okanagan Rail Trail has received $450,422 worth of donations.
At the end of June, an anonymous Okanagan resident wanted to up the ante and decided they would match donations up to $50,000 for the trail from July 1-10.
With $33,000 being donated in the first three days, the donor increased the matching challenge to $100,000.
“It was just so exciting to see the donations coming in, I wanted to see it continue”, the donor said.
“I never imagined the donations would more than double the $100,000 I already provided.”
In the 10 days, 876 donors brought in a total of $225,211. To completely match the donations, two North Okanagan homeowners, Don and Cathy Archibald, stepped forward to match the remaining amount.
“This trail will help shape the future of this valley and provide an incredible legacy for our communities,” Don said. “We need to do all we can to ensure this trail gets built as soon as possible to allow us all to enjoy the benefits”.
With $450,422 being raised, 4.4 kilometres of the trail construction has been funded. This means the first target goal of reaching $500,000 has been completed.
'The success of the Canada Day challenge means that the first stage of trail development (design and access control) can soon begin,” said Duane Thomson, Okanagan Rail Trail ambassador.
“It has also stimulated fundraising ideas by businesses and trail ambassadors, and will help the campaign continue to build momentum.”
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