Fundraising for the Downtown Windsor Community

By Joyce St. Antoine

The Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative hosted its Spring Fundraiser on Friday April 5. They had a silent auction and music played by the Coffee House Combo.

The Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative is a network of neighbours committed to the ongoing renewal of the downtown core. They organize activities that bring people together and advocate change for good.

Artist Owen Swain presented his drawings as the table decorations which were also for sale. Tickets to the event were $65 each or $600 per table. Ticket sales, table auction and alcoholic beverage sales all contributed to the total.

A representative from the DWCC said the goal is to always have people attend to enjoy themselves and to receive positive feedback. Over 340 guests attended.

Sarah Cipkar is the Community Development Coordinator for the DWCC, and opened up the ceremony.

“I was reflecting on how many people are here in this room tonight,” said Cipkar. “Some of you I know personally, whether you’re a long time friend or I’ve met you in the last few years.. And it  actually made me a little bit emotional because I realize the significance of this event. It’s a fundraiser but it’s also a celebration with all the work that we’re doing.”

The DWCC’s motto is “A good place to grow up, and a good place to grow old.”

“The DWCC seeks to bring up the gifts and the talents and the people in the neighbourhood, to mobilize for change,” said Cipkar. “It’s really important because if you don’t have buy in, if you don’t have relationships, if you don’t have trust with people, you’re never going to get anything done. So it’s very important for us to make sure that neighbors are on board and that we’re accomplishing things with people, not for them.”

Cipkar said that the DWCC has had a gala in the past which was about half the size. She said it is really encouraging to see the number of people that showed up.  

Rino Bortolin is the Ward 3 councillor and works hand in hand with the DWCC since being elected in 2014.

“With the programs that we’re doing, we actually engage with the residents more than any other organization out there,” said Bortolin. “Probably 60, 70 per cent of the funds that you know, fuel all our programming and our organization comes from private donors.”

Bortolin said fundraisers like this one allows for programs to continue being funded. 

The total of how much they raised has not been reported, but the organization was pleased with the turnout.