Kelowna finalists announced for $10,000 charity prize

Photo: Contributed

Cody Pollard is a finalist for a $10,000 cash prize to support the Central Okanagan Food Bank.

A Kelowna charity will receive a $10,000 prize when the winner of the Trellis Sprout a Fundraiser challenge is announced on March 19.

The challenge asked contestants to raise money for their preferred cause. In a few months, nearly $50,000 was raised for local charities.

Six finalists have been announced for the challenge. They are Roz Huber, Cody Pollard, Victoria Schermel, Tracey Cochrane, Amal Alhuwayshil, and You are Collective. 

They have the opportunity to win one of three prizes – the $10,000 cash prize for charity, donated by The Clique Group, mentoring hours and workshop registration with Purppl, or three months worth of access to Grant Connect, the grantseeking platform of national nonprofit Imagine Canada

Trellis founder and chief executive Justin Goodhew says his team was inspired by the quality of the contestants.

“We are blown away watching our community champions step up and raise money for the causes closest to their hearts. It’s inspiring watching others give back so selflessly. When we launched this challenge, we had no idea what the response would be, and this is far more than we could’ve imagined. As a team, this has really cemented why we’re doing the work we do, and further ignites our passion.” 

The six finalists are: 

• Roz Huber, raising money for Bridge Youth and Family Services.
• Cody Pollard, supporting the Central Okanagan Food Bank.
• You are Collective, raising money for CMHA Kelowna, Mamas for Mamas, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, Paws it Forward, and The Bridge Youth and Family Services.
• Victoria Schermel, supporting Journey Home Kelowna.
• Tracey Cochrane, supporting the Kelowna Women’s Shelter.
• Amal Alhuwayshil, who raised money for Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society.