By Vanessa Broadbent

Oliver Chronicle

If you talk to any of the members of the 100 Women of the South Okanagan (Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls) group, they’ll tell you that when women come together they can do amazing things – including raising $10,000 in just one hour.

On Thursday, the group is hosting their third annual 100+ Women Who Care event. Women from Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls will come together to raise funds for a local charity, a goal of $10,000.

“The concept is super simple: 100 women, one hour, $100 donation, equals $10,000 of immediate impact for a local charity,” said Petra Veintimilla, one of the 100 Women of the South Okanagan and organizers for the event.

The goal is that at least 100 women attend the event and each of them donates $100. After networking, the women hear from three local charities and participate in a blind vote, the winner of which gets the $10,000 donation.

In its two previous years, the event has raised just under $10,000 to date, going to Highway to Healing the first year and Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre the second.

This year, the group is hoping to have 100 attendees and donate a total of $10,000 in one night.

“This group is relatively new and so we are working on making the wider community aware of our existence,” Veintimilla said.

“The more women who participate, the larger the pot of money to distribute, so please spread the word to your friends, neighbours, family and co-workers – really to all the ladies in your life.”

Veintimilla noted that taking the time to fundraise and volunteer can be time consuming and isn’t always attainable. The 100+ Women Who Care event aims to make supporting local charities more accessible.

“This event is great for women who love to be involved in their community, who see value in donating to causes close to home, but who may be short on time,” she said. “It’s a fun and inspiring evening, and most likely the quickest way to have a huge collective local impact – $10,000.00 in just around an hour is a pretty big deal!”

The event is on Thursday, April 19 at Oliver Twist Winery and starts at 6 p.m. For more information or to RSVP email [email protected] or call or text 250-535-0585.