With the league’s hockey season delayed as a result of COVID-19, Shaw Communications Inc., the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), and its 17 Canadian teams have joined together to build the excitement and community spirit of hockey with a new fundraising initiative.
Brighter Communities powered by Shaw is a text-to-donate initiative that will support 17 charitable organizations across B.C. that are facing challenges brought on by the pandemic.
With COVID-19-related restrictions in place for almost a year, the charities in these B.C. communities face substantial increases in demand for their services but considerable declines in donations.
From now until May 31, 2021, people are encouraged to text-to-donate to support the selected charities that are working hard to support children and youth in local B.C. communities. Shaw will match every donation dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $3,000 per charity – doubling the amount raised for each charity.
The Vernon Vipers have selected North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society (NOYFSS) as its charity of choice.
“The non-profit sector has faced immense challenges over this past year. More Canadians are using their services, while resources that organizations need to continue their essential work in the community are more strained than ever,” said BCHL business development executive director Dave Cannon.
“With our partners at Shaw, we wanted to do our part to bring the community together to support these organizations. The Brighter Communities powered by Shaw initiative is a quick and easy way for British Columbians to support and help build better communities for children and youth to live, learn, and play.”
Each of the 17 Canadian BCHL teams partnered with a charity in their community, allowing people to make a $10 donation by texting the charity’s unique code to 41010 (In Vernon, text VERKIDS to 41010).
A list of the teams, their chosen charities and respective codes can be found online at bchl.ca/shaw.
“The BCHL season is typically a time to celebrate community and embrace team spirit, and while the season has been delayed this year, we wanted to ensure fans, players and community members can still rally together for a common cause,” said Shaw external affairs vice-president Chethan Lakshman.
“By implementing a simple text-to-donate initiative, we are proud to work with the league, local teams and their fans to support the organizations that are helping kids and families make our communities brighter.”
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