FortWhyte Alive surpasses #GivingTuesdayNow fundraising goal with help from Fillmore Riley and generous donors

FortWhyte Alive exceeded its #GivingTuesdayNow fundraising goal of $15,000, raising close to $17,000, with the help of matching sponsor Fillmore Riley and the generous donors who stepped up during a time of uncertainty. #GivingTuesdayNow, held on May 5, 2020, was an emergency response to the financial strain affecting the charitable sector.

After the Province of Manitoba declared a state of emergency, FortWhyte Alive temporarily closed its doors on March 21, 2020, which greatly reduced revenue streams. A core team continued to work to maintain the site and operate the farm.

Fillmore Riley is an ongoing sponsor of the FortWhyte Farm flagship initiative, Growing Youth, Food and Community, but decided to reallocate sponsorship dollars to help FortWhyte Alive weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm matched gifts up to $7,500 on #GivingTuesdayNow.

“We have seen the devastating impact the pandemic has had on our community,” said Jody Langhan, a partner of Fillmore Riley and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees with FortWhyte Alive. “We worked with FortWhyte to make sure our sponsorship dollars went where they are needed most during this challenging time.”

The money raised will help FortWhyte Alive recoup some operational costs and prepare to reopen its doors on May 11, 2020. “We are so excited to reopen our gates so Winnipeggers, who need to connect with nature more than ever while still respecting social-distancing guidelines, can access our beautiful site again,” said Jackie Avent, director of Grants & Sustainability at FortWhyte Alive. “We thank Fillmore Riley for being the matching sponsor of #GivingTuesdayNow and doubling the impact of our generous donors.”