KAWARTHA LAKES-It’s always nice to get dressed up and head out on the town during the holidays. Even better if you can do it while helping a good cause.
The Cosy Kawartha Holiday Ball is a magical event to raise money for three local groups. COACT (Collaborative Action)Kawartha Lakes is organizing the ball. Â “It’s going to benefit the Sunderland Agricultural Ambassador Program, the Kawartha Lakes Dance Centre, Children’s Dance Team and COACT Kawartha Lakes. Patti Sheppard, COACT founder told Kawartha 411.
COACT is a company working to help non-profits and charities in Kawartha Lakes. They develop programs that can help seniors homes and non-profits raise money and find donors. Sheppard says non-profits in rural areas need to work together to get the biggest gang for their buck. “It’s about doing events collaboratively for organizations developing programs for them and that’s what we do, it’s being able to devlop these programs for seniors centres, for day centres, and showing them how to do it, what works and how to fund it.” Sheppard explains. That’s the biggest thing, how do you fund it?
She says there are grants available to non profits and COACT helps them find the money, develop programming and show others how to use them to bring in donors and volunteers. “We have two miniature horses coming in that are going to be run under the Barn Buddies moniker.” Sheppard says. “It was developed by a friend of mine and both the horses came from meat trucks and have been trained to do therapy work.” COACT is also developing a new program called Forgotten Skills in which they teach things like paper quilling, sewing and knitting etc. “It’s about bringing these things to them and showing them how they can do it, so they can increase their impact and get a better grasp of the dollars that are out there so they can attract patrons, donors and volunteers and better meet their own mandate.” Sheppard explains.
The Sunderland Agricultural Ambassador Program is more than just an ambassadorship, the program, participants participate in local parades, do a toy drive every Christmas and the winner is given public speaking training through their local (Lindsay or Sutton) Toastmasters.
The Cosy Kawartha Holiday Ball is on December 2nd at 8pm at the Oakwood Arena. Tickets are $20 and include a midnight buffet. All three benefitting organizations are helping out with the event and the Oakwood Lions club will be tending bar. There is a free shuttle that goes from Woodville to Little Britain. Â They’ve even developed a signature drink called Hot Apple Jack with Jack Daniels and Hot Cider.
Click here for tickets:https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cozy-kawartha-holiday-ball-tickets-38802328810?utm_term=eventurl_text
Click here for more information on COACT:http://www.coactkl.org/home.html
