Push To End Homelessness

Downtown Kelowna will be taken over by decorated shopping carts competing in the 5th Annual Arthur Cottie Memorial PUSH TO END HOMELESSNESS—an annual fundraising event for the local grassroots charity Inn from the Cold – Kelowna (IFTC). 

This year is bigger and better than previous years as it is an Amazing Race Challenge. Teams will start the race at the IFTC emergency winter shelter on Sutherland where there will be free timbits and coffee, and a ceremonial ribbon cutting done by Mayor Colin Basran. Teams will then make their way through Amazing Race Challenges in the downtown core towards the finish line at Kerry Park. 

The day wraps up with a community BBQ, live music from Wild Son, and over $2,000 in prizes to be given away by Norm Letnick (MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country) for top fundraising team, best decorated cart, best team name (etc). The objective of the PUSH TO END HOMELESSNESS fundraising event is not only to raise much needed funds for Inn From The Cold – Kelowna, but more importantly, to raise awareness surrounding the issues of homelessness in our community.                        

“The PUSH is the most fun that you could have at a charity fundraising event—seriously some of the most fun I’ve had” recalls Vanessa, a race competitor from previous years. Vanessa pulled a group of her friends together for her team and gathered pledges to compete.  All funds raised by teams support the work of IFTC’s programs.

“My favourite part of the PUSH fundraising event was getting to meet all the different teams and seeing their decorated carts” recalls Dayton. “Oh, and winning passes to Atlantis Waterslides!”

Dayton’s school team decorated their cart in their school colours with balloons, ribbons, and little stuffed mascots. Although they didn’t win for Best Decorated Cart, Dayton’s team took home the prize for raising the most money for the charity.

Dayton’s tips for winning this year’s PUSH TO END HOMELESSNESS: “Focus on the clues, so you know where you are going! And ask your friends and neighbors to sponsor your team—if you are a kid, you could make an announcement at your school to raise money”.

Inn from the Cold—Kelowna is a registered charity that provides support services to people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness in our community. Their services include: an emergency winter shelter, outreach and case management, housing program, homelessness prevention program, and a street soccer team.

The PUSH is still open for team registrations, and with two weeks to go you still have time to get a team signed up and to collect pledges! Get together a group of co-workers, classmates, or friends and register at www.innfromthecoldkelowna.org or give us a call at 250-448-6403.