Georgina Cares cancels TV auction, runs informational program instead

By: Michelle Poirier

Georgina Cares was preparing for its 25th annual live TV auction, but due to COVID-19, the charity has decided to cancel the popular fundraiser.

Instead of the auction, Georgina Cares will still film a program for Rogers tv channel 10 to be aired on Sunday, November 29, at 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to explain what their role is in the community.

“We did not want to put anybody in a situation where it would compromise their health by running the auction this year,” Rob Grossi, President of Georgina Cares, said.

“We thought what we would do is cancel the auction, we would still go on TV for an hour or so, and what we’re going to do is essentially a program that explains what we do.”

He said, though they rely on the generosity of the people in the community through the auction, the logistics of a live TV auction during COVID-19, and the fact that many of the companies which would usually donate are struggling during this time, they decided it was best to wait until next year.

During the program, they will encourage people in town to donate to Georgina Cares and other charities, like the Georgina Food Pantry and the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign, over the winter holidays.

Mr. Grossi said Georgina Cares’ motto is “help kids be kids.” He said they do this by helping families who may have come into financial hardships by covering costs for extracurricular activities for kids under the age of 15.

They also have the Compassion Fund, which helps families going through something like an illness, a house fire, or other extenuating circumstances to help eliminate financial stress.

Mr. Grossi said most of the work they do is behind the scenes. He said one of the random acts of kindness that Georgina Cares did this year was giving approximately $2,500 in $25 gift cards from Food Basics, Fresh Co., and No Frills for the cashiers and managers to hand out to those who may need some extra help paying for their groceries.

They have also helped with donations to The Georgina Pop-Up Breakfast Club and the Georgia Food Pantry.

They have helped parents pay for music lessons for their children at Connors Music, where Connors would subsidize part of the cost, and Georgina Cares would pay the balance.

“We still have some resources, we have done some good financial planning over the years, and we have got some good partnerships, so we can still help people. This will put a dent in our resources, not having the auction, but we know that people will continue to support us,” Mr. Grossi said.

Georgina Cares was recently the recipient of proceeds from the Smile Cookie Campaign, run by Tim Horton’s, and they received $17,733.10.

“We will be back, hopefully, next year, bigger and better than ever,” he said.

If you would like to donate to Georgina Cares, visit georginacares.ca/donate.

If you need financial help or know of someone who does, you can visit the Georgina Cares website for further information on how to apply.