Canadian Community of Riyadh Fundraiser
On May 19, 2010, Canadian ex-pats in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia held the Canadian Hero Fund’s first overseas fundraiser. The Canadian Community of Riyadh (CCOR) organized “Charity Chance Night,” a charity casino night which took place on a British compound called Salwa. Over 130 people attended and the event raised over $4,000 for the Canadian Hero Fund scholarship program.
The Canadian Community of Riyadh is a group of expatriate Canadians living and working in Riyadh. Their mandate for donations is for Canadian charities, and since so many have family or friends in the Canadian Forces, they decided they wanted to make a donation to benefit military families.
“My son was in Afghanistan when we first started our communication about the fundraiser,” said Lynn Long, CCOR Secretary, who was the event organizer. ”When I received one of the phone calls from Land Force Support Group I asked about Charities that we could make a donation to. I was directed to several worthy possibilities. We chose the Canadian Hero Fund.”
Event participants could test their skills (and their luck!) at black jack, roulette and other games – all for a good cause. The tables were open from 8-11pm and prizes were raffled off at the end. Catering and music provided entertainment once the games were finished. All in all, the event was a resounding success, with many guests already asking about the next fundraiser.
