Sales of a calendar featuring works by Delta artists have raised $2,500 for Delta’s Boys and Girls Clubs.
On Friday afternoon (March 25), representatives from the Delta Police Foundation, Delta Police Department, City of Delta and The Harmony Initiative Society (THIS) presented Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC president and CEO Carolyn Tuckwell with a cheque for $2,500.41, proceeds from the sale of the inaugural “THIS is Where We Belong” calendar.
The calendar features art by 12 local artists — ranging from five to 42 years old — submitted last October as part of a contest designed to “encourage the creation of visual art that will raise awareness and support the inclusion and sense of belonging of all individuals in our community,”according to the contest website, as well as highlight the creativity of the Delta community.
“We didn’t know exactly where it would go, but we’ve certainly had some great results,” Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said Friday.
The contest saw 91 submissions in total, all of which are currently on display at Tsawwassen Mills near Entrance 3. Twelve finalists were chosen by a community panel facilitated by THIS (one for each month), with winners selected in four categories and awarded Apple iPads to further their creative pursuits.
READ MORE: 13-year-old wins inaugural Delta police calendar contest (Dec. 9, 2021)
“We received countless messages from many different citizens who felt that [the calendar contest] was a way for them to really express themselves in a way that was authentic to them,” THIS co-founder Warren Dean Flandez said Friday.
“EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) is something that is very much a buzz term these days, and we really wanted to change the stigma and make it something that was easy to hear, an easy pill to swallow — something that recognizes that people aren’t just looking for equity, diversity and inclusion; they’re looking for trust, respect and a sense of belonging in our community.”
A thousand calendars were printed, and thanks to the generosity of local businesses who covered production costs, 100 per cent of the money from the sale of the calendars was donated to Delta’s Boys and Girls Clubs.
“We were very, very privileged — once again, Delta always steps up when it comes to sponsorships opportunities — and we had 20 businesses that came forward and sponsored pages in the calendar,” Delta Police Foundation director Rod Binder said Friday. “Those funds that were raised helped cover the cost of the calendars.”
Lots of fun meeting up with kids at the Boys & Girls Club of #DeltaBC to present the organization with a cheque for $2,500. The funds were raised from the sale of calendars featuring winning entries from The Harmony Initiative Society’s creative calendar contest. @thisinitiative pic.twitter.com/VR1y9NQBw1
— Office of Mayor George V. Harvie (@MayorofDelta) March 25, 2022
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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