The Rotary Club of Kelowna joined forces with the Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation to raise $45,800 to help relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.
The earthquakes in the region have killed over 50,000 people and left millions of others injured and homeless.
The funds raised by the Rotary Club will purchase 40 ShelterBox emergency supply kits, which are packed with a large tent that fits up to 12 people and essentials like pots, a stove, fuel, flashlights and water sterilization, from ShelterBox Canada, a global humanitarian relief organization.
Each emergency kit costs $1,200.
“The ShelterBox is based on the premise, what are the things you need to sustain your life if you’ve lost everything in an instant and are forced to flee your home,” said Marjolein Lloyd, ShelterBox ambassador for Rotary District 5060.
The Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation donated $15,000, which was matched by the Rotary Club of Kelowna Foundation. Additionally, members of the Rotary Club of Kelowna made individual contributions resulting in the sum of $45,800, which will help 40 families.
Teams from ShelterBox Canada and Rotary partners are on the ground in Turkey and Syria coordinating to help mobilize the local emergency response.
For more information on ShelterBox Canada and how you can get involved, visit www.shelterboxcanada.org.For more information on the Rotary club visit rotary.org.
@Rangers_mom
Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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