” Miracles happen in multiples of one!” “
Jane Ferguson
Get outside. Breathe deep; feel your whole body start to relax. Hear that—that’s the sound of kids laughing. When I ask core donors, John Offutt and Jane Ferguson, why they choose to throw a party to get kids to Moorelands Camp for summer, this is what they told me. Both are active and avid lovers of nature. John, a full-time teacher, talks about spending “crazy amounts of time indoors” with kids from Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park, who never get the opportunity to really experience kayaking or a night sky filled with gleaming stars.
“Kids need that; they need to get out from the bosom of their family, they need to get to Moorelands Camp,” adds Jane. “It’s eye-opening, and it gives them a different outlook, a chance to be a different kind of kid,” she states. Jane, an accomplished lawyer and part-time magistrate, understands just how important it is to show kids that different futures are possible.
But Why a Summer Solstice Party?
“That’s easy,” says Jane, “summer is my favourite season and summer solstice is one of my favourite holidays. It’s a chance to see all your friends before they scatter for the season.”
“Camping, running, cycling, being at the cottage with good friends is what summer is all about for us. What better way to celebrate the season than to get a whole cabin’s-worth of kids up to camp by having a party. We invite our friends to come out and celebrate the solstice, we host it and take care of all the food and John brings his wines. Last year we came together and raised enough to send 11 kids to Moorelands Camp, so this year we’re trying to send 12.”
Can you share your best tips for making your SAK event successful?
“Sure“, says John, “have a goal at the start and let your friends know what it is and how they are helping the kids. I’m more a connector guy. If it’s something I believe in—and Moorelands is—I want to share what makes Moorelands so special with my friends. I do that better in person. At the end of the night, our guests get to leave feeling great(!) because they know that while they are having fun, they’re also making an extraordinary experience possible for a kid.”
“Do what you like to do with your friends, be creative,” Jane suggests. “If you like going to movies have a film night. If you love wines like John and I do, host a tasting; do a cycling rally-race, where the slowest rider kicks in for each leg. Be creative and do whatever it is you like doing when friends get together—just make sure you leave all your guests feeling great about what they did, by sharing in the experience!”
When asked what issues concern them most in this city, John and Jane instantly respond:
“It’s about affordability,” says John, “Not only in housing, but in all the extracurriculars that come with it. Moorelands Kids, bridge the opportunity gap for our kids in this city. It’s a simple but profound difference and I see the ways it’s needed, every day at school.”
“City programs are getting cut and the need has increased tenfold,” adds Jane. “Being a Moorelands Kids’ Send a Kid To Camp donor is one way of making sure a kid gets a powerful, joyful, experience this summer. Do your own event, or share a SAK brochure with one friend who doesn’t know Moorelands Kids yet. You can be the one to make this happen, and I believe that miracles happen in multiples of one!”
John and Jane’s FUNdraise with Friends Tips
Follow these tips for a successful event! See more event ideas here.
- Have a well stated goal, tied to # of kids helped
- Suggest a minimum $ guest donation
- Share the value of the night with your guests in your invite and during the night
- Remind people of the IMPACT they are making
- Moorelands Kids will send out your personalized message with the tax receipt, if you give them one
Thank you to some of our other FUNdraisers!
- Thank you Jelly and Ganoe, Moorelands Camp staff alumni, who used Facebook’s Birthday Fundraiser feature to raise money in lieu of gifts!
- Alum, Tammy Belaire Ford, raised hundreds of dollars for camp by holding a raffle of a beautiful decorative paddle! Thank you!
- This summer, Kawagama Lake cottager, Karin Ibscher, is SAK fundraising with a personal challenge – swimming the perimeter of Kawagama and Bear Lakes! Support her at www.moorelands.ca/karin-swim/
- Thank you to Jane and John Kean and the congregation of Christ Church Woodbridge for their annual Lenten collection of camp Arts & Crafts supplies!
- Thank you to McCarthy Tetrault LLP and the Bay Street Beach Volleyball Tournament for once again selecting Moorelands Kids as the beneficiary of their sporting event fundraiser!
At Moorelands Kids, our vision is to empower kids to transform their lives. It costs $1,530 to send a child to Moorelands’ virtual camp. Please make a donation today to help send a child to camp this summer. Any amount you choose to give will make a difference!
