100 Women Who Care put $5,000 into Helping Hands

By Vanessa Broadbent

Oliver Chronicle

For the third year in a row, the 100 Women of the South Okanagan group, which includes members from the communities of Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls, came together to support a local charity.

The event was hosted at Oliver Twist Winery and saw over 50 attendees.

Petra Veintimilla, one of the group’s members and event organizers said the fundraiser “went fabulously.”

“We just raised $5,000 for Helping Hands, which is a charity in Okanagan Falls – that’s a lot of money for a small, little charity.”

Members from three local charities – Helping Hands, Okanagan Gleaners and the Osoyoos Desert Centre – presented to the group who then voted on one for the funds to go to.

Helping Hands, who was chosen, supports low income families with things like Christmas Hampers and backpacks for kids.

“They (rest of the charity’s board) are going to be absolutely amazed,” Helping Hands president Carmen Dixon said. “We can really use this. It’s great.”

“I think they’re going to be able to do great things with that money,” Veintimilla added.

The event will be hosted again next year and the group is hoping to attract 100 attendees and raise a total of $10,000.