Donations still accepted to support Grade 8 girls in move to secondary school
By Meg Deak
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—At noon on March 8, 2022 the Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services kicked off international Women’s Day with their online auction fundraiser for Girls Power Camp (GPC).
GPC is a camp that takes place the first week of December for Haldimand-Norfolk Grade 8 girls to help them make the transition to high school. The goal of the camp is to empower girls and give them the skills to be successful in their teenage years.
The fundraiser took place on 32auctions.com. This is the first year the auction was held online, having taken place in person previously.
Hailey Wilson, GPC Coordinator at Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services, organized the event.
Local businesses donated gift baskets, gift cards, and other goodies for the auction. Since the pandemic, fundraisers have been few and far between within the community. Wilson described, “A couple businesses were happy because this is the first time they’ve been asked to donate and do something in a long time.”
The goal was to raise $7,500, enough to secure the lodging cabins. Within the first two days of the auction, Wilson was excited to see they had already reached 74.2% of their goal.
The auction ended March 13 at 8 p.m. All items are being delivered to the respective winners. Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services exceeded their fundraising goal, raising $8,826.55 in donations.
Donations are especially important for GPC as they are the program’s only source of funding.
“We aren’t a regular program; when the money runs out the camp runs out,” Wilson said.
According to Wilson, prior to the pandemic the camp cost $20,000 to run: “Since the pandemic food and lodging have gone up,” explained Wilson. “We’re thinking this year the camp will cost approximately $23,000.”
During the pandemic, GPC ran virtually. This year, the program is hoping to return to an in-person experience.
For those who missed the online auction, there is still a chance to donate. GPC accepts donations any time of year. For more information, visit hngirlspowercamp.ca.
“We couldn’t do this without the support of the community,” Wilson concluded. “Every dollar counts.”
