More than 200 guests attended this year’s An Evening With Epic fundraiser at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.
This year’s An Evening With Epic fundraiser proved to be an unqualified success.
The primary fundraiser for the Epic Opportunities Foundation, the Nov. 6 event attracted a crowd of more than 200 people to the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. That total represents an increase of more than 30 per cent from the previous year’s attendance.
The evening raised about $27,000 for the fundraising wing of Epic Opportunities, which will be used to provide accessible homes for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Winnipeg.
Epic Opportunities Executive Director Ruby Reimer says she was particularly pleased with the support the organization’s corporate partners provided for the event. Corporate sponsorship nearly doubled from the previous year, rising to slightly more than $14,000.
Reimer says the growing corporate support for the fundraiser shows the non-profit organization’s business partners embrace Epic Opportunities’ vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
“It really shows the strong partnerships we have with the business community and the idea of reciprocal relationships,” she says. “It also shows there is a willingness to invest in us and the importance of building community.”
The local business community provided additional support in the form of numerous prizes for rainbow and silent auctions which raised about $3,800 during the evening. Prizes included a pair of prime Winnipeg Jets tickets from Coughlin & Associates, artwork donated by several local artists and a six-day stay at the beautiful Lake Louise Resort courtesy of Shelter Canadian Properties Ltd.
One of the highlights of the evening was a captivating performance by wonderist Chris Funk who dazzled the crowd with his one-of-a-kind magic and illusions.
In addition to the success of An Evening With Epic, Reimer says foundation members are continuing to look at additional ways of generating financial support for the organization’s efforts to serve people with intellectual disabilities to live independently in the community.
“There is a lot of momentum right now to grow those efforts so we can fully accomplish the goals set out by the foundation,” she says, adding it has yet to be determined what form those efforts might take.
