United Way NWT has blown their $300,000 goal out of the water, having received approximately $360,000 in under a week. They have been raising funds to aid in disaster relief for Hay River and KFN evacuees since Monday, then also began funding evacuees from Fort McPherson when their community started flooding on Wednesday.
David Connelly, chair of United Way NWT’s emergency response committee, was pleasantly surprised with the response.
“I am absolutely amazed, gratified and proud of the generosity and giving spirits of Northerners to help other Northerners in trouble,” he said.
He said that some of the big contributors are the GNWT who gave $150,000 — and an anonymous donor, who gave $100,000.
The generosity doesn’t stop within NWT borders, he also said that the government of Yukon and Nunavut both gave $25,000 each.
There were also a number of other corporations such as Tech Resources, Rio Tinto, and Northwestel which gave between $2,500 and $25,000, then the donations coming from individuals all cumulated to the approximate total of $360,000.
And the number keeps growing.
After Yellowknifer interviewed Connelly, a news release came in from the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) which stated that they have contributed $30,000 to United Way NWT, which the Public Service Alliance of Canada matched for a total donation of $60,000.
“This is the third year in a row that NWT residents have been forced from their homes due to natural disasters, and the UNW is once again ready and willing to do what we can to provide financial support to those in need right now,” stated Gayla Thunstrom, president of the UNW.
Connelly said that United Way NWT was not taking any administration fees and never has at any point during this campaign and all of the proceeds are given to organizations that distribute the funding to evacuees.
United Way NWT stated on a press release on Wednesday that they changed their overall goal from $100,000 to $300,000 and had received $40,000 up until that point.
Individuals, community organizations and charities interested in donating to United Way NWT to aid in their emergency response efforts can do so on their website, while corporate organizations should call the Emergency Response Coordinator at 867-675-2643.