Abbey eld House overjoyed with 100 Women donation

Hanna Petersen hpetersen@pgcitizen.ca

The $33,900 raised for Abbeyfield House in Fort St. John by the 100 Women Who Care philanthropy group is going to make a big impact on the organization.

Abbeyfield Canada is a national non-profit organization that offers affordable housing and companionship for seniors, with 20 houses across the country.

The House opened in Fort St. John in 2008 and although it offers a beautiful spacious home with 12 rooms for seniors, it hasn’t seen any updates since the first residents moved in.

“They had some very tough challenges as many people in organizations did through COVID and so they desperately need this money, and I can’t even tell you how grateful they were,” said Karin Carlson, an organizer with 100 Women Who Care Fort St. John.

The long-awaited and popular fundraising event made its return after being put off to the side by the pandemic with the highest donation since its launch in the fall of 2017. It’s a simple concept — at least 100 women get together to donate $100 each to a local worthy cause.

Three charities are chosen out of a hat and after they each give presentations, the one with the most votes receives the donation.

This year 208 women attended raising $20,800, which was propped up by a $10,000 donation from Tourmaline Oil Corp. An anonymous donor then contributed $3,200 so the 100 Women Who Care could reach the $100,000 donation mark since launching six years ago.

“It was successful, the best one that we’ve held so far,” said Carlson. “The power of these women in a room together to commit and help people in our community - It’s an amazing experience.”

This also means Abbeyfield House