The Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre recently found out they're in the running for a $50,000 award from Aviva Community Fund, but they need Coasters to vote on-line daily until Nov. 26 to have a shot at claiming the prize.
Aviva Insurance sponsors the on-line contest that gives away a total of $1 million each year to "ideas that create positive change in Canada."
Participants vote on-line daily at www.avivacommunityfund.org for their favourite idea or cause and the one with the most votes on Nov. 26 enters the semi-finals. From there ideas are posted for a final 10-day voting period from Dec. 3 to 12 and winners are chosen in late December.
The contest has been running since Oct. 15, but Clint and Irene Davy of Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre only recently found out they were in it.
"The fellow that put this together, he put it together without even letting us know," Irene said. "He had never been here, he had never met us and so we didn't get any pre-warning to kind of get people geared up to vote and that's why for us it's kind of a last minute thing trying to get people to vote for us."
The Davys have transformed their home in Gibsons into the wildlife rehabilitation centre, where for the past 20 years they have rescued, rehabilitated and released thousands of injured and orphaned wild animals.
"We've helped over 7,000 critters over the years," Irene said, noting each year they get about 3,000 calls from locals seeking their assistance.
The centre is the only facility for injured and orphaned wild animals on the Coast.
Through fundraisers and volunteer help the Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre has been able to stay afloat, but this year, due to Clint's failing health, the centre had to hire someone, leaving them over budget for 2012 and concerned about the future.
"Clint has been quite ill. He's had two major surgeries, so now we have one part-time fellow that we hired this year and we've never had that, it's always been 100 per cent voluntary," Irene said.
Any money won through Aviva Community Fund will pay for the additional help and go toward future operating costs at the centre.
To help Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre win the $50,000 prize go to www.avivacommunityfund.org each day and vote for idea number ACF16300, titled Gibsons Wildlife Rehab. Centre.
If you want to help another way there will be a silent auction benefiting the centre on Nov. 23 and 24 at Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons near the Starbucks entrance. The annual fundraiser will have 300 items up for grabs and all proceeds go directly to the rehabilitation centre.
