Islanders give more than $300k to GiveOrcas

June 3, 2023 1:30 am
Representatives from the Orcas Island High School Senior Class at the OICF event.
Representatives from the Orcas Island High School Senior Class at the OICF event.

Submitted by Tera Andaya for the Orcas Island Community Foundation.

The GiveOrcas campaign was a great success.

More people than ever before contributed. All in all, 774 individuals donated, beating our previous record of 668. A whopping $311,778 was raised, fully funding 12 proposals and significantly funding the rest. The results are indicative of so much support for the great nonprofits serving this community.

Among other many other things, these donations will allow the Animal Protection Services to provide compassionate veterinary care for pets in need, the Early Childhood Education Initiative to ensure universal access to quality preschool education, Fresh Bucks to make fruits & veggies affordable through their food access program, Friends of the Olga Store to help complete the refurbishing project of the Olga Store Building and the Funhouse to create safe, adaptable spaces for our island’s littlest learners. You can see a full list of the community-funded grants that were made through the GiveOrcas Campaign at: https://oicf.us/nonprofits/giveorcas/. Thank you to all who contributed. You made a difference in your community.

To celebrate the campaign’s grant awards, The Orcas Island Community Foundation hosted a free ice cream social open to the entire community on May 25. Over 100 people including many young families were in attendance at the picnic shelter at Cascade Lake in Moran State Park. Clever Cow Creamery provided the ice cream.OICF Board members scooped ice cream, popped popcorn and helped craft the perfect root beer float. It was a sunny, joyful, uplifting gathering! Award checks were distributed during the event to the nonprofit organizations that participated in the campaign.

In addition, the Orcas Island High School Senior Class distributed their Youth Philanthropy Awards making grants to Mercy Flights ($3,000), the Booster Club ($2,000), Island Reproductive Health Initiative ($1,500), Animal Protection Society ($1,500), the Friends of the Library ($1,000) and Safe San Juans ($1,000). Thanks to all who contributed to this year’s campaign and stay tuned for information regarding the next GiveOrcas campaign from OICF.