Kelowna Snowmobile Club Raises $29,723.00 for Charity

BC Snowmobile Club Events Are Back... and Doing Great Things for Local Communities!

Kelowna Snowmobile Club members took to the slopes on February 19th to raise money for BC Children's Hospital's Heart Center and Easter Seals BC/Yukon. The event had a personal connection with the local snowmobile community. Co-host Ashley was born with congenital heart disease and endured two heart surgeries plus subsequent pace maker surgeries at BC Children’s Hospital when she was a child. Since then, for the past 32 years, Ashley and her family have been generously supporting BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

"This event is very special as I spent my first 19 years with BC Children's Hospital and had all my surgeries and care with them. Every element that makes BC Children's Hospital so important to BC's kids would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters and friends,” says Ashley.

Club President Chris noted the fundraising goal for the weekend was $6,000 for both charities combined. But the sledding community, businesses, volunteers, and supporters came together in a big way. The Poker Run event itself raised $14,723 and an angel donor matched those community dollars for a grand total of $29,723.

As COVID restrictions eased, many snowmobile clubs across the province eagerly launched a return of  outdoor events over the family day weekend. Each year, BC Snowmobile Clubs raise an incredible amount of funds for a variety of charities and local programs. Snowarama events alone have raised $3.8 million dollars since their inception in 1978 for the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities and Easter Seals services, the BCSF charity of choice. Despite the lack of snow in some highly-populated regions of the province, BC snowmobilers raise the highest Snowarama funds per capita in Canada. Read more about Snowarama Events HERE.