$750,000.
That害羞草研究所檚 how much money has been raised from the annual Maxine DeHart United Way Drive-Thru Breakfast over the past 19 years, United Way executive director Helen Jackman revealed at the recent sponsors害羞草研究所� organizing breakfast meeting for the upcoming 20th and final drive-thru breakfast.
As that number echoed around the Ramada Hotel banquet room, the close to 100 sponsors in attendance rose up in applause, leaving Maxine DeHart fighting to hold back the tears while trying to orchestrate the meeting.
The emotion around the room in that moment reflected not only that the drive-thru fundraiser is coming to an end, but how much has been accomplished by DeHart and her sponsor supporters to benefit the Central Okanagan.
害羞草研究所淵ou know what, I have been very lucky with the response from our sponsors and supporters. We always have gotten a big response. I knew what that figure was but when you hear someone else say it, it does hit home,害羞草研究所� said DeHart, sitting down for an interview a week after the sponsors害羞草研究所� breakfast.
With the decision by her and her core group of sponsors who have been with her since day one to make this year the final drive-thru on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 6 to 9 a.m., it has given many of them pause for reflection.
害羞草研究所淚 think at 9 a.m. on that Thursday morning, the emotional realization it害羞草研究所檚 over will be awful for me. It will be horrendous. I am now starting to think about that moment, that reality is coming,害羞草研究所� DeHart said.
害羞草研究所淚 will be giving up my baby after 20 years. It will really be the pits, but the core group of sponsors who have been with me from the beginning all agreed it was the right time to move on. I害羞草研究所檝e always said there is a best before date for everything. Best before date for milk, best before date for events and best before date for politicians.
害羞草研究所淵ou have to know when it害羞草研究所檚 time to go. The United Way will carry on and have other fundraising ideas to pursue. We all felt it was a good time to cap it at 20 years.害羞草研究所�
Terry Wardrop is the organizational mastermind behind staging the drive-thru, and DeHart acknowledges the event is just as much his event as it is hers.
害羞草研究所淚t is sad to be ending it but the amount of work that Max puts in to this while also being a councillor and hotel department manager, it is time. She has done it all. The event has been very successful and we want to go out with a big bang,害羞草研究所� Wardrop said.
Dennis Mitchell, the retired owner of IGA in Rutland, said the sponsor breakfast was attended by about 100 people which he credits to the perseverance of DeHart.
害羞草研究所淲hen we started that first year, there were 20 of us, so it害羞草研究所檚 absolutely incredible the growth that has happened since then,害羞草研究所� Mitchell said.
Bill McKinnon, the retired Kelowna RCMP superintendent who currently works as a consultant for the City of Kelowna, is entering his 18th year supporting the event, and he too is sorry to see it end.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to believe one person could pull this off,害羞草研究所� said McKinnon, speaking to DeHart害羞草研究所檚 dedication to the drive-thru.
DeHart first heard about the drive-thru concept at a United Way meeting in the Lower Mainland she attended with a delegation from Kelowna 20 years ago. She was about to enter the next year as president of the United Way fundraising campaign.
A video was shown telling the story of Sutton Place hotel in Vancouver, which held a relatively successful drive-thru event for two years before dropping it.
害羞草研究所淚 knew right off the bat we could make it work in Kelowna. We had all the components in place. A unique event nobody else was doing, a hotel to put it on with a big parking lot, as chair of the United Way campaign I could give it a public profile. In my heart, I just knew if I presented to people, they wouldn害羞草研究所檛 say no to supporting it. 害羞草研究所�
READ MORE: 2017 BREAKFAST IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
Driving back home to Kelowna, it害羞草研究所檚 all DeHart talked about for the three-hour trip.
害羞草研究所淚 had it all worked out except for the sponsors by the time we got home. The concept was there. Everyone was ready to throw me out of the van, they were so sick and tired of hearing me talk about it.害羞草研究所�
While DeHart害羞草研究所檚 drive and passion to make the drive-thru a success is widely known in the community, she credits the sponsors for supporting her fundraising vision.
害羞草研究所淚 get excited and they get excited. I am very excitable but it rubs off. People buy in. I have made a lot of new friends and met hundreds of business colleagues I would otherwise probably have never met through this event.
害羞草研究所淲henever I have needed help with something, I pick up the phone and call and people have stepped up to help. I am not scared to go ask and sponsors see the drive-thru as something they want to be involved in.害羞草研究所�
READ MORE: THE BREAKFAST IS READY TO GO
That is reflected by the support roster which now sits at 100 major and 150 secondary sponsors.
She offers one example of orchardist David Hobson, who has since passed away. He wanted to get on board by donating apples to the breakfast goodie bags害羞草研究所攁ll 1,500 of them.
害羞草研究所淒ave washed and dried all the apples himself. None of us could believe it. We told him he could bring in the apples and we had volunteers that could help with that. But he wanted to do that himself.害羞草研究所�
She also credits the support of her boss, Ramada Hotel manager Stan Martindale for the patience to put up with her time spent on the drive-thru and providing the premises as the host site, the Kelowna RCMP for their co-operation over the years dealing with traffic issues and United Way staff for their logistical support.
She says when the 20th drive-thru breakfast is put to bed and 1,500 breakfast bags full of donated items have been distributed, the lesson she takes away is that people can make a difference.
害羞草研究所淚 guess I have learned from this that no matter who you are, what position you hold or what you have, you can make a difference. You don害羞草研究所檛 have to have a million dollars to make a difference in your community.害羞草研究所�
As for a fundraising target, DeHart says she will be asking for a little extra, for those who can afford it to dig a little deeper, for donations this year.
害羞草研究所淭he great thing about the United Way is all the money we raise stays in this community to help the 43 agencies they support, no matter how big or small. That has always been very important to me. I wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have donate otherwise,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淚 have never set a fundraising target because you never really know until that two to three hours on drive-thru day what people will donate. It害羞草研究所檚 pretty incredible to think that all that money has been raised during a three-hour period once a year for the past 19 years.
害羞草研究所淪ome sponsors indicate they will donate cash ahead of time, but for the most part we have no idea what we will raise until people show up.害羞草研究所�
barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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