Georgian Bay Gals Give holding spring giving event this month

A women’s philanthropic group continues its charitable ways later this month at the Brooklea Golf and Country Club.

This will be the 12th giving event for GBay Gals Give.

Since its inception in 2018, their members have given back $420,000 to various charities in the community.

This time around, they have decided to split their donation with funds going to the Southern Georgian Bay Airboat Rescue and EarlyOn's Emergency Baby Needs Depot.

In the fall, Georgian Bay Gals Give had its most successful giving event ever, raising $45,925 for two local charities: Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre and Salvation Army.

"This is our largest donation to date. An amazing number. Thank you to each and every Gbay Gal," founding group member Michelle Mink said following the October event.

Group members meet twice a year, spring and fall, with participants asked to donate $200 each time. They have approximately 200 members, but are always looking for more.

Slated to run from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the upcoming fundraiser gives participants a chance to mingle, enjoy a drink and hors-d'œuvres as well the important task of raising some much needed funds for local non-profits.

The airboat rescue initiative was started in 2021 when on a single winter's day, three snowmobilers died in the waters around Midland.

And with two of those sledders, a father and son, dying near her home in Victoria Harbour, Christina Wood knew she had to do something.

With the help of her best friend, and one of the first responders on the scene of the accident, the Southern Georgian Bay Airboat Rescue committee was formed. The committee aims to raise funds to purchase an all-season rescue airboat for the area since no local municipalities or fire departments currently own one.

The emergency baby needs depot, meanwhile, is connected to EarlyON Child and Family Centre Simcoe North’s Midland branch, which offers programs for parents and caregivers of children prenatal to six years of age which can assist in their parenting or caregiver role.

The initial launch of Gbay Gals Give was June 7th, 2018 at the Midland Golf and Country Club with members donating $24,000 to Georgian Bay General Hospital.

Since then, the group has supported a number of worthy causes, including the CLH Foundation, Hospice Huronia, the Guesthouse Shelter, Huronia Transition Homes, the Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre, Warm and Cozy and the Georgian Bay Food Network.

For more information about the group or its upcoming social, click here.