NEWS RELEASE
DAVID BUSBY CENTRE
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Barrie's David Busby Centre (DBC) launched their Catch the Ace fundraiser on Aug. 4. The ongoing fundraiser will assist them with their operating and maintenance costs for Busby Centre’s hub facility and outreach vehicle.
While the DBC relies on various fundraisers throughout the year for their programs and services there have been some drastic changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our services were moved to a local hotel in mid-March 2020 to facilitate physical distancing protocols as well as maintaining our 88 Mulcaster facility anticipating our return. With the uncertainty of the near future and following provincial COVID-19 guidelines, the DBC has cancelled their year-end Gala which typically raised an average of $40,000 to support our programs and services.
The launch of Busby's Catch the Ace fundraiser is now in week four.
“We are excited by the creativity of our fundraising committee who brought this viable and entertaining fundraiser to life. We cannot physically bring the community together to raise funds for our much needed programs and services in the community, but we can bring the community together in a virtually interactive way to do the same,” said Resource Development Coordinator Candace Gordon.
The DBC had participated in the Great Canadian Giving Challenge in the month of June to raise funds for a chance to win $20,000. We were able to raise $8,506 to help put towards our new van but we still have a long way to go in order to raise enough funds to support the centre as well as purchasing a new vehicle.
The outreach van, which can often be seen around Barrie, was a retired ambulance donated to us in 2016 by the County of Simcoe and as of last week it has been taken off the road for mechanical and safety reasons.
“We serve up to 140 individuals and families daily in and around the Barrie area through our van outreach program and their needs may not be met if we cannot get to them, so it's vital for us to have a working vehicle for those who are relying on us daily," Gordon said.
Tickets for the popular Catch the Ace fundraiser in support of the DBC can be purchased online at www.busbycentre.ca.
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