Surge Gala raises over $13,000 for Streams Community Hub

Written By MARNI WALSH

The founders of Shelburne's Streams Community Hub say last Friday's Surge Gala raised $13,157 towards “additional capacity and covering the cost of scholarships” for the non-profit organization. 

Held at the Hockley Valley Resort on Oct. 4, the Gala hosted 120 guests attending in support of the youth organization that has gained an ‘at capacity' popularity with area families since it opened just three years ago.

Andrew James and his wife Juli-Anne told the Free Press that as this was Streams' first gala, they did not set a fundraising goal. “Rather,” they said, “we hoped to increase awareness of the organization more broadly within Dufferin County.”      

Streams very first “Volunteer of the Year” award was presented to Brody Ireton at the gala. Brody is a 16 years old Centre Dufferin District High School student who has volunteered every single day of camp since the program began in 2016. 

“Brody is also responsible for all of the wonderful photographs on our website, social media platforms and in the Surge Gala Magazine produced for Friday's gala event,” says Juli-Anne.

“We were thrilled to have both our Mayor, Wade Mills and Deputy Mayor, Steve Anderson in attendance,” said Juli-Anne James. “MPP Sylvia Jones could not attend, but provided some remarks, which we shared with the audience. We had the chairman of the Dufferin Community Foundation, Gord Gallaugher in attendance, as well as members of the Headwaters Community In Action (HCIA) Shirley Boxem and Trish Keachie. The event was also well supported by some corporate donors including Lennox Farm, Shelburne Family Chiropractic, and In the Hills Magazine.” 

Ms. James says that over the last three years, 44 percent of attendees at Streams Community Hub camps have attended programs through full or partial scholarships. 

“We expect to see this number grow, as we continue to increase capacity by adding more programs,” she says. “Financial support from our community, both individual and corporate, covers the cost of these subsidies and scholarships and ensures that no child gets turned away and every child can play, imagine and create.”