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100 Women Who Care welcome potential members to attend meeting

Jan 31, 2018 | 4:00 PM

The first meeting of the new year for 100 Women Who Care will take place Thursday night in North Battleford and the organizations who are bidding for the group’s donations, remains a secret.

The group gets together four times a year and all members contribute $100 to a local charity or organization. At the last meeting $9,900 was donated to The Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords.

According to Battlefords chapter founder, Roni  Zakresky, three organizations have five minutes each to pitch why it should receive the money. She added the organizations are kept a secret until the meeting so members can’t research them and make up their minds before the pitch.

“We do kind of a Dragons Den format,” Zakresky said. “Each organization has five minutes to tell us about their involvement in the community and then our member’s vote for which one they’d like the money to go to.”

Since the start of the Battlefords branch of 100 Women, the group has donated $75,000. Tomorrow night will be the seventh meeting. Zakresky said the group is perfect for women who want to help the community, but don’t have the time to volunteer.

“We like to say it is an event that transforms compassion into action. The members’ contribution to this community when it’s combined with everyone else makes a huge impact. It’s an evening that you just have to feel good about.”

According to Zakresky, the previous winner always comes to the following meeting to make a presentation.

“They [The Lighthouse] are invited back to explain how they used the money to the members, so they will be at this meeting.”

Zakresky said there are currently 135 members, so an organization could be awarded $13,500. The founder added there is still time for others to join and increase the donation.

“You can come in to the meeting, register and cast a vote as long as you contribute the $100,” Zakresky said. “We’re also doing this onetime offer and allowing people to bring a guest so they can come and see what we’re all about.”

The doors to the meeting open at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Empress Furniture in North Battleford. Zakresky said memberships are only open to women.  

 

greg.higgins@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @realgreghiggins