On Saturday, July 20, Kristin (Postill) Holomis and her team paddled the length of Kalamalka Lake (18km) near Vernon, B.C,. in support of Okanagan College Sunflower Childcare Centre, raising over $29,000 for the charity.
“Stand Up For” is an annual local fundraising effort by Kristin Holomis and Brittney Page, where they paddleboard the length of Kalamalka Lake to support a chosen charity. This year, they paddled for the Okanagan College Sunflower Childcare Centre in Vernon.
Scheduled to open in September, The Sunflower Childcare Centre aims to address the critical shortage of affordable childcare spaces in the North Okanagan that can prevent parents from pursuing post-secondary education. The centre will support 44 children, specifically 24 infants and 20 three- to five-year-olds. It will be run and managed by the well-loved and respected Maven Lane, another local non-profit that has been providing high-quality care, education, and recreational programming for children in the community since 1994.
“We are beyond grateful to Kristin, her paddling team, and the Vernon community for raising an amazing $29,000 for the Sunflower Childcare Centre,” says Sasha Carter, manager of development with the Okanagan College Foundation. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we are thankful for the community’s role in helping us open the Sunflower Childcare Centre in September. Student parents will now be able to drop their children off before heading to class, knowing that the community is right behind them, supporting their educational dreams.”
This is the 7th Annual Stand Up For fundraising paddle, which has raised over $185,000 for the local community. Past recipients include the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative, KidSport Okanagan, The People Place, Archway Society, Starfish Pack, and NOYFSS.
“I cannot believe we’re in our seventh year of running this fundraiser,” said Holomis. “We are so grateful for the support we receive year after year from our incredible community. The Sunflower Childcare Centre is going to change the lives of many, and we’re humbled to have a small part in bringing it to life. I hope we can continue to run this paddle for years to come.”
Event organizers would like to especially thank the following businesses and donors for their contributions and matching grant incentives that made the fundraiser such a tremendous success: Simolo Customs, R.E. Postill & Sons, Nixon Earthworks, Toro’s Liquor Store, Nixon Wenger, Maxton Industries, Priscilla & Co, and Wolf.
