The Airdrie and District Community Foundation (ADCF) will be hosting its annual gala this Thursday at the Woodside Golf Course, where select Airdrie charities will be the lucky recipients of donations that will go towards their worthy causes.
Last year's gala awarded a total of $28,000 to the Airdrie Public Library, Community Links, Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society, and Variety, a Calgary-based charity that helps build accessible playgrounds for children with disabilities.
This year, the ADCF will be doling out $30,000, with 16 charitable organizations among the potential recipients.
“We only [have the gala] once a year,” said ADCF chair Dale Rathgeber. “It's to recognize and educate our donors and potential donors about what we're doing, and we announce our funds to the charities that apply, so it's like a reveal. The charities receiving money get to talk about what they are going to use the money for for three to five minutes and it's just a general feel good night for our donors.”
Not every charitable organization that’s up for some of the money will get some. Rathgeber said that the need of the charitable organizations is going to be, unfortunately, greater than what can be raised.
“We can't support them all,” Rathgeber said. “The need is always greater than our capacity to fund.”
Rathgeber added that it is extremely important to recognize the work being done by the charities working in Airdrie and the surrounding area.
“That's why we all volunteer our time,” he said. “We don't really have a good United Way presence in this community and as a result of that and a result of there being a lot of need in a growing community, it's critical. We help the charities that help the disadvantaged in this community. They are doing good work and they have demonstrated to us a need.”
