Local gala going national
Laura Brookes - Apr 16, 2020 - Get Involved

Image: Contributed

An Okanagan College graduate is hoping to raise $1 million dollars to help Canadians affected by COVID-19.

Drew Vincent has already raised $22,270 to help the community during this pandemic through his charitable Stay at Home Gala event.

The idea came up during a casual conversation with a friend, says Vincent, who graduated from the College’s Bachelor of Business Administration program.

“We were talking one night about how the world was going to be different after and how events aren’t going to be the same, and conferences, and then we got talking about galas and somehow we got to the Stay at Home gala,” Vincent said. “It quickly took form after that.”

Just eleven days after conceiving the idea, Vincent and his team ran the event on March 27, featuring speakers, a livestream, an optional dinner from a local restaurant delivered to the guest’s door and more.

Tickets started at $25, and all funds went to the Community Foundations of the Okanagan, which will direct funds back into the most in-need charities within the community.

Their intention was to bring everyone together during this difficult time, says Vincent.

“The positive response we have received is a testament to our community’s values. We started calling it social distancing at its finest, but we might have to change that to community at its finest.”

Now he’s encouraging Canadians across the country to host their own Stay at Home Gala events on May 2 with the toolset they’ve created.

Each location will stream its own local speakers, and extra spots will be filled with national keynote and celebrity acts, including Hayley Wickenheiser and Erin Cebula.

It will be a more interactive event than the previous one, says Vincent, who now has three paid staff members and five volunteers on his team.

“The hope is really as people are really being a part of something that’s needing to happen in the communities we’ve found a model that worked and we just wanted to share that and then we thought we could increase that impact by having that big one-day event.

“It’s really grown, and that’s the really cool thing about it. It’s taken on a life of its own, and hopefully it continues to do so.”

Okanagan College professor Dr. Kyleen Myrah says she is very proud of how Vincent has risen to the occasion to help his community in a time of need.

“During times of uncertainty, I was so heartened to see OC alumni stepping up to think creatively about how they could create some much needed help, and promote connection in our community. Drew has always had a passion to use his talents to help others and despite just coming back to Kelowna, he did not hesitate to step up and make this happen.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about hosting your own Stay at Home Gala visit the website.


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