"Stand With Tim" Campaign Raises Over $14,000 For Non-Profit Organizations to Benefit Children

Community organization Peterborough Cares’ “Stand With Tim” campaign raised $14,270.59 for the New Canadians Centre (NCC) and United Way Peterborough & District’s "Backpacks for Success" program.

Backpacks are being stuffed at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.

The funds were received by both organizations at the Peterborough Police station on Saturday with Mayor Diane Therrien and Coun. Lesley Parnell in attendance.

The one-day fundraising event began on Aug. 19 on the corner of King and George Street where local musicians performed a free concert while volunteers collected donations. Musicians included SJ Riley, Shawn Hully, Cole LeBlanc, Baz Littlerock, Ariel Riley, High Waters and Joe McCulley.

There was $2,000 from the Peterborough Police Service to kickstart the fundraiser. The police service board gave $1,000, the police senior team gave $500 and the police board chair gave $500.

A GoFundMe was set up to aid in the fundraising efforts for those who could not attend the event.

Proceeds were split between the NCC and United Way. The latter’s campaign was using the proceeds to fill 690 backpacks with school supplies for children returning to class in September. They needed $15,000 to complete their goal since the demand for school supplies increased by 90 per cent according to the United Way.

During the last three years, proceeds went to homeless shelters. Acting police chief Tim Farquharson took a preventive approach this year by using the proceeds for children’s education. He says prison incarceration rates, crime and imprisonment correlate with the number of kids who fail to graduate high school.

“Anything we can do to encourage that chance to reach a potential by staying in school as long as possible, the better,” he said in a prior interview with PTBOCanada.

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