CHILDREN'S CENTRE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN RAISES $300K

FUNDS RAISED DURING HELP KIDS SHINE GO TOWARD SERVICES AT THE CENTRE

Niagara stepped up this year to Help Kids Shine.

This year's annual campaign from the Niagara Children's Centre raised $325,487 — the most ever during the month-long fundraiser.

The fundraiser sees stories from centre families shared on social media and with local radio stations in hopes of encouraging donations. These donations go directly to the centre to help more kids with disabilities get treatments they need.

Niagara Children's Centre provided rehabilitation and support services to more than 5,300 children and youth last year across the region with physical, developmental and communicative delays.

The services they provide include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language services, augmentative and alternative communication,

family services and therapeutic recreation.

"It's one thing to hear it from someone on the radio but quite another to hear it from a child who couldn't speak until they got to the centre or from a parent whose family suddenly has hope or from a therapist who spends their days changing the lives of others," said Tim Denis, morning show host on 610 CKTB. "I think this campaign puts a personal face on it, and that's what makes a big difference."

This year, additional funds were raised through a number of extra initiatives, including McHappy Day, which saw five St. Catharines McDonald's locations raise a total of $24,000 for the cause.

Niagara's construction industry also played a large role in this year's campaign. O'Hara Trucking and Excavating became a monthly donormatching sponsor, pledging up to $25,000 to the campaign.

Members of the Niagara Home Builder's Association (NHBA) came together to contribute more than $25,000 to the campaign as well.

Chuck McShane, chair of the Help Kids Shine Cabinet and CEO of the NHBA, said he's proud to support such a transformative organization.

"We, at the NHBA, along with our members, are privileged to extend our support to this remarkable organization," said McShane. "The programs and services offered by the centre are vital to families, and through our fundraising efforts for the Help Kids Shine campaign, we hoped to reach even more families across the region, ensuring that their lifechanging work continues to make a difference."

The campaign culminated in two large events, the plasma car races on May 25 and an illumination of Niagara Falls on May 31.

Plasma car races took place at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls and featured 12 teams of four wiggling their way to the finish line on the popular children's ride-on toy in a series of races.

When the evening was over, more than $17,000 had been raised.

Lisa Vinc, who won this year's competition on the S&B Rockets, felt that the

Plasma Car Race carried a lot of momentum leading into this year's event.

"Our HTZ-FM team leveraged that power, and we were able to raise a lot of money and awareness for this very entertaining event that marks the culmination of the Help Kids Shine campaign," said Vinc. "We hope that it becomes a flagship of the campaign in years to come."

At the Falls illumination, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, who is also chair of the Niagara Children's Centre's board, said the Falls symbolize the collective power to effect change.

"What we were able to accomplish this month was thanks to the unwavering support of the local community, generous donors and a number of supportive organizations," he said.

Throughout the month, more than 1,000 monthly and individual contributions were made to Niagara Children's Centre.

While the campaign maybe have come to a close, the Niagara Children's Centre still accept donations either by phone, in person or online at helpkidsshine.ca.