For three days every week for a year, members of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Sidney Unit 302 (ANAVETS) have been raising money for the community.
Through their regular meat draws, the veterans’ organization has raised enough money to be able to hand out $38,000 to various organizations this year.
Sally Nalleweg is ANAVETS’ meat draw chairperson. She says they are giving the money this year to a variety of deserving organizations — from cadets and Angel Flight BC, the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Broadmead Village veterans’ home, to the charitable ORCCA Dental Clinic and an organization that supports training of PTSD dogs.
Nalleweg said the support for their regular meat draws has been good, with close to an average of $1,000 raised each time. She’s in charge of making sure each draw goes well — and that’s reflected in the number of people who turn out and the money raised.
“We have, probably, the best meat draw anywhere,” she said. “And all of the money we raise goes back into the community.”
Every year, around this time, ANAVETS holds an event to distribute the funds. This year, it’s being held Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Unit branch on Fourth Street in Sidney.
Nalleweg said they will be making donations to 20 different recipients this time.
