Over the past few months, we have had the absolute pleasure of working with the Algonquin College public relations (ACPR) students on their charity campaign.
The public relations program runs a bi-annual charity campaign to allow students to gain hands on experience while giving back to the community. This semester marks 21 years of the project, with over $400,000 raised for dozens of local charities. This semester, Interval House of Ottawa was lucky enough to be the chosen charity. We had no idea what an amazing ride we were in for!
SpeakUp!
The students named their campaign SpeakUp!, aiming to not only raise funds for IHO but also raise awareness of the broader issue of violence against women across our country.
The campaign consisted of five fundraising events and an opening and closing ceremony. Running a campaign this size is something IHO could have never accomplished on our own. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside such a talented group of students and watch as they planned and executed a massively successful fundraising campaign.
The events varied widely, and included:
- A game night at Fun Haven;
- a fiesta night;
- sports trivia;
- an art auction; and
- an open mic night.
We were able to attend every event, so we can speak from experience when we say the events were so much fun and extremely well received.
The Results
The ACPR students set out with a goal of raising $15,000. I am proud and honoured to say that they exceeded their goal and were able to raise a grand total of $15,120 for IHO. This amazing gift will go towards keeping our 10 unfunded beds fully operational and open to women and children all year long. Beyond the money, being a part of this campaign raised an immense amount of awareness of the services and resources we provide. Through social media, media interviews, events, and more the ACPR group did wonders for getting important information out to the community and they did so with absolute professionalism and tact.
On behalf of everyone at Interval House of Ottawa, we want to extend a big thank you to the ACPR group. You have made a difference in the lives of so many women, children and pets. Congratulations on the success of your campaign and best of luck in your future careers!