On Saturday, July 20th, Kristin (Postill) Holomis and her team paddled the length of Kalamalka Lake (18km) in support of Okanagan College Sunflower Childcare Centre raising over $29,000 for the charity in just a few weeks.
“Stand Up For” is an annual local fundraising effort by Kristin Holomis and Brittney Page where they paddleboard the length of Kalamalka Lake in support of a chosen charity. This year they paddled for the Okanagan College Sunflower Childcare Centre in Vernon. Scheduled to open in September, The Sunflower Childcare Centre aims to address the critical shortage of affordable childcare spaces in the North Okanagan that can prevent parents from pursuing post-secondary education. The centre will support 44 kids, specifically 24 infants and 20 three- to five-year olds. It will be run and managed by well loved and respected Maven Lane, another local non-profit who have been providing high-quality care, education and recreational programming for children in our community since 1994.
“We are beyond grateful to Kristin, her paddling team and the Vernon community for raising an amazing $29,000 for the Sunflower Childcare Centre,” says Sasha Carter, manager of development with the Okanagan College Foundation. “They say it takes a village to raise a child and we are thankful for the community’s role in helping us open the Sunflower Childcare Centre for September. Student parents will now be able to drop their children off before heading to class knowing that the community is right behind them supporting their educational dreams.”
This is the 7th Annual “Stand Up For” fundraising paddle. So far it has raised over $185,000 for the local community with Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative, KidSport Okanagan, The People Place, Archway Society, Starfish Pack and NOYFSS being their past recipients.
“I cannot believe we’re in our 7th year of running this fundraiser,” said Holomis. “We are so grateful for the support we receive year after year from our incredible community. The Sunflower Childcare Centre is going to change the lives of many and we’re so humbled to be able to have a small part in bringing it to life. I hope that we can continue to run this paddle for years to come.”
About the Sunflower Childcare Centre
The Sunflower Childcare Centre, operated by Maven Lane, is anticipated to open in September 2024. Located at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus, the Centre will feature 44 new childcare spaces . Maven Lane is a non-profit society and registered charity, and a respected local childcare provider with 600 local children in their care. Wherever possible, Maven Lane participates in government funding programs that will help reduce fees for parents.