The Water for Life Initiative fall fundraisers this past month were a roaring success! Our team had a blast meeting with people from across Canada and getting the chance to share more about the waves of positive change we are seeing in the countries where we work.
Our theme this year was “The Ripple Effect.” Just as a drop of water creates a series of ripples on the surface of water, so too does a single event, like providing people with access to clean water, have a powerful far-reaching effect on other areas of life. Not only does it transform physical health, but it impacts people’s relationships, spiritual wellbeing, daily rhythms and hope for the future.
The events kicked off in Abbotsford, BC at the Clarion Hotel, where we hosted over 170 guests from the Lower Mainland area! Our local staff each hosted a table and had the chance to meaningfully connect with our donors over a delicious dinner and dessert. Our CEO, Aaron Rogers, and Patrice Lavagnon, Country Manager for Benin and Togo, carried the bulk of the evening, sharing beautiful stories of impact that have happened over this past year.
The following evening, we put on a Paint + Sip night in downtown Abbotsford. Participants ate charcuterie and sipped mocktails as they were led in an acrylics painting tutorial by talented artist Judy Smith. Patrice came as the guest speaker and talked about the significance of the picture, explaining that women in Africa are primarily burdened with the task of finding drinking water for their families. Most people who attended were new to GAiN, and so it was a lovely night of spreading awareness and getting people connected into the work that we do.
After the flurry of our BC events, Aaron and Mike Feenstra, Relational Manager for GAiN, met with some donors in Manitoba for some more one-on-ones and a few small gatherings. Throughout the trip, our team made some amazing connections with our ongoing church partners and even had the chance to form new relationships with other churches.
Following our time in Manitoba, some of our team members flew east to help our local staff with the Toronto fundraisers. Our large dinner gathering happened at the Weston Hotel and our second Paint + Sip event was hosted at Pinot’s Palette. One of our staff, Ravi Chandran, also headed up a second dinner event, featuring special guest speaker Charles Price and musician Ruth Ann Onley. Each evening was filled with energy and warmth as people listened attentively to the ways that access to clean water is changing every aspect of reality for communities in Benin, Togo and Tanzania.
Aaron and Mike Feenstra, Relational Manager for GAiN, travelled to Alberta for more one-on-ones. It was a wonderful time of sharing more testimonies of God’s faithfulness and forming bonds with partners.
We want to say a big thank you to everyone who came and supported our events this year! We are honoured as an organization to do the work that we do, helping create powerful ripples of change in all areas of life for communities in Africa.
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