For the past decade, Linda Davreux, the owner/manager of Royal LePage Realty in Osoyoos, has been sponsoring a Christmas fundraiser to assist the SPCA in Penticton. A donation box has been set up in the lobby of the office where local residents can drop off items or make cash donations until Christmas. Helping out Davreux (third from left) are fellow Royal LePage realtors (from left) Lucia Marin, Barb Pasternak and Pam Hass. (Keith Lacey photo)
An Osoyoos realtor who happens to be an avid animal lover is continuing her holiday tradition of raising funds and generating donations for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Penticton.
Linda Davreux, who has been the owner/manager of the Royal LePage Realty in Osoyoos for 10 years, has once again organized the annual Royal LePage SPCA Christmas fundraiser where local residents can donate cash or contribute to a “wish list” provided by the SPCA in Penticton.
“This all started with my two daughters (Jennifer and Alaina), who used to bring donation boxes to collect items and money for the SPCA way back when they were attending Osoyoos Elementary School and then Osoyoos Secondary School,” said Davreux, who has been a realtor in Osoyoos for more than 20 years.
“My family has been avid animal lovers our entire lives and once the girls got out of school, I wanted this to continue so we set up a donation box at the front of our office and we’ve been doing that for about 10 years now.”
The SPCA wish list usually contains items like dog food, blankets, toys and litter boxes.
Cash donations are also welcome.
“We collect everything throughout the month of December and then I pack everything up and drive it down to Penticton between Christmas and New Year’s Day,” she said.
When she was a child, Davreux grew up with a house filled with four-legged friends and her passion to help animals has never subsided, she said.
“In our house, I grew up with dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, chickens … you name it, we had it,” she said smiling. “My passion for animals has been with me my entire life and this is my little way of trying to help.”
The SPCA branch in Penticton provides animal protection services not only to Penticton residents, but those who reside across large parts of the South Okanagan, including Osoyoos and Oliver, she said.
“The SPCA in Penticton really does a fantastic job with very limited staff and a very tight budget,” she said. “I just try and help them out as much as I possibly can because they do such great work.”
The support for her annual SPCA fundraising drive has been fantastic since day one, she said.
“I had people walking into the office last week asking where they could drop off their donations,” she said. “We’ve had great support locally and I really would like to thank all of the people who have been so supportive over the past 10 years.”
Davreux also thanked her fellow realtors and office staff at Royal Lepage in Osoyoos for their assistance and co-operation in supporting the fundraising drive.
Donations can be dropped off at the Royal Lepage office on Main Street during office hours until Dec. 24.
The office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
