Breakfast raises thousands

The seventh annual United Way Drive-Thru Breakfast fundraiser was a huge success Thursday morning, handily beating their donation goal and serving so many customers they ran out of food.

The lineup started piling up at 6 a.m., and was backed up Main Street for the rest of the morning. 

"So many people here, it's been an amazing show for the community. People donating an amazing amount of money for the community," said executive director of United Way Central & South Okanagan-Similkameen Helen Jackman.

People grabbed a hot breakfast, coffee, fruit, prizes and even a quick windshield wash for their cars. Volunteers collected donations from individuals, as well as larger corporate donations into the thousands.

"And that's just an example of the generosity in this community. So much love, it's great," Jackman said. 

The United Way set a goal ahead of time of raising $20,000. Considering the lineups and demand, it's not surprising they topped that easily, reaching a total of $21,000. 

"You never know who's going to come out. We had a lot more people perhaps than we anticipated, which is a great problem to have," Jackman said. "Whatever we raise goes back into the community and to some great causes."

The money will be distributed amongst 22 communities in the Central and South Okanagan, benefitting local charitable organizations.

Volunteers and donations were key to the drive-thru's success, according to Jackman. 

"We had about 40 volunteers come out [Wednesday night], to help us pack all the bags, we get all these amazing donations from local companies that fill the bags," Jackman said. "And then people were out here at 5:30 [Thursday morning], helping us get everything ready, set everything up. So much love in this community."

If you missed the breakfast but still want to donate, you can do so here at any time.