It shouldn’t, but it still amazes me how much financial and in-kind support can be found for worthwhile projects on the Coast, simply because someone asks.
We are a community of givers, and I truly believe the only reason some people don’t give more is because they don’t know there is a need.
The folks at the Gibsons Public Market have done a good job of letting people know about their plans to expand the former Gibsons Yacht Club in order to create a community hub the Coast can be proud of.
That hub would include much public space for a year-round, six-day-a-week farmers’ market, a community kitchen, public and private meeting spaces, a licensed café and a marine education centre.
The idea is to create a place to hang out that matches our ideals of conservation and sustainability and connects us as a community. The market will also serve as a place for tourists to visit and get a taste of what the Coast has to offer.
It’s a cool vision and the volunteers who are pitching it have managed to get much of the community excited about the opportunity.
Excitement’s great, but you need cash to build things and the Gibsons Public Market volunteers have done an excellent job of getting those with deep pockets excited about giving.
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP John Weston dropped off a cheque for $50,000 from the federal government last Saturday and then pledged to look for more funding.
Telus came forward with more than a half-million-dollar investment, and then decided to start their own campaign to donate $100 to the market for every new Telus hook-up from now until October.
Individuals, governments, businesses and organizations are stepping up to give hundreds of thousands to the worthwhile cause, and do you know why? Because someone asked them.
Volunteers took the time to meet with Darren Entwistle of Telus and MP Weston and the many other donors who have pledged large sums to the project so far, to share their enthusiasm for the future of the market and present their plans. That enthusiasm caught on.
It’s true, there are many worthwhile projects and endeavours on the Coast that need funding to succeed and fundraising isn’t easy, as not everyone you talk to shares your vision or the desire to support it, but it’s also true that people rarely give unless asked.
The people asked to give by the Gibsons Public Market have already stepped up with more than $1.3 million for the expansion, expected to cost about $3 million, and there are more grant opportunities being looked at by the committee in the coming months.
During that time you can bet the volunteers who are passionate about the market will continue to spread the word and excitement, in the hope more people will give to get them to their $3-million goal.
I have no doubt they’ll make it, in plenty of time for their tentative construction start date of January 2016.
After all, we’re a community of givers, this is a worthwhile project, and we’re being asked to help.
