Silent Auction cheque presentation (Photo provided by Julie Stanley)
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Bluewater Local is donation over $4,400 to Grey Bruce women’s shelters.
ETFO Bluewater Local President Julie Stanley says they hosted their 20th Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser on Oct. 27 in Port Elgin, where a number of individuals and businesses donated gift baskets.
Stanley says they saw about 70 people take part in the event for the first time since 2019 as a result of the pandemic.
In addition to the $4,400 raised from the event, the ETFO Bluewater Teacher Local also donated an additional $500 to each organization.
The proceeds from the event were donated to The Women’s Centre, Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey, and Saugeen First Nation – Kabaeshiwim Respite Women’s Shelter, each receiving a cheque for just under $2,000.
“We know that we have, unfortunately, many women and children that have to access the services of the women’s shelters and we see that every day in our classrooms with some of the children that we teach,” says Stanley.
Stanley says to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event, they asked people to come dressed in a 20’s theme.
“We had people come in from the 1820s, lots of flappers from the 1920s, we had people who wore 20 things, and we had some creative people that made a math equation as a costume around the number 20,” says Stanley.