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5th Wellies to Wishes fundraiser is this Saturday night

April 2, 2014   ·   0 Comments

By Tabitha Wells – If you’re looking for something this weekend the Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS) Fifth Annual Wellies to Wishes Fundraiser will be happening at the Mono Community Centre in Mono Centre on Saturday night.

The event, which starts at 7 p.m., is a night to wear your stylish wellingtons, support a good cause and have some fun with friends.

“This year’s event is again, another fun-filled evening with great food, great cocktails, great experience packages that we’ll be auctioning off, and just in general a great, fun evening,” explained Heather Hayes, Service Coordination for Developmental Support Services at DCAFS.

“It’s a chance to wear rubber boots so your feet are comfortable and wear your best spring frock and just have a great evening out.”

Tickets are $60, and anyone who wears their wellingtons to the event will be entered into a raffle draw which will occur at the end of the evening. Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the night as well, for the chance to win a pair of diamond earrings designed by Gemma Jewelry from the Alton Mill or a weekend getaway at the Sherwood Inn in Muskoka with a free weekend rental vehicle from Toyota.

As usual, there will also be an auction ongoing throughout the night, with paintings, artwork and experience packages for people to bid on.

“This year we’re really focusing on the experience packages in the auction,” said Ms. Hayes.

“The experience packages are things like a ‘Girl’s Night In’, with four bottles of wine, four pairs of pyjamas and classical movies. There’s also beer, basketball and bacon package, which of course includes beer, bacon and tickets to a Raptor’s play in Toronto, four rows up, as well as many other types of packages.”

The fundraiser acts as a source of income for the Dufferin Children’s Fund, which donates money towards multiple things needed to help out kids who go through any of the three services offered by DCAFS: developmental services, children’s mental health and child protection.

“There are no administration fees or additional costs, so every dollar we make is given away and goes towards the Fund,” explained Ms. Hayes.

“Those dollars are given out to fund post-secondary bursaries for kids in our care to pay for medical equipment that the government doesn’t pay for.”

The funds have been used to purchase a defibrillator for a child in need and recreational equipment for a developmentally challenged little girl who was in the program.

They also go towards different therapies, such as art therapy and camps to provide more for the kids who are in need.

The idea for Wellies to Wishes was inspired by a children’s program called William’s Wish Wellingtons, with the concept that wellies offer protection when people are out in the rain.

“They keep your feet dry, they’re comfortable to wear when you’re out, and we are kind of like that at Dufferin Child and Family Services,” said Ms. Hayes.

“We offer fun and protection during challenging times. That’s our goal, to make sure that when challenging times hit we have the services and the funding that we need to offer the absolute best service that we can. We really feel strongly about that.”

For more information on the event, or to find out how to purchase tickets, you can check out the Wellies to Wishes event page on Facebook, visit the DCAFS website at www.dcafs.on.ca or contact Jacqueline Moore at 519-941-1530 ext. 246.

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