Organizers were optimistic the Ride for Refuge fundraiser Saturday would meet if not exceed its $20,000 goal.
The event had participants walk or bike either a two or five kilometre route that started and finished at the Access Event Centre in Morden.
There were 60 participants, and the donations had been at $19,350 with money still able to come in until the end of the month, so lead organizer Karina Bueckert was pleased with the response.
“I would say this was a super successful event. A huge thank you to everyone who braved those crazy southern Manitoba winds to come out and join us,” she said.
Bueckert was feeling good about their chances to give the shelter a good head start on its future transitional housing project.
With the soaring costs of housing, it’s become increasingly more difficult for women who want to permanently leave an abusive partner, and it is estimated only about 12 per cent of women move into their own housing upon leaving the shelter. The remaining 88 per cent move into temporary living situations or in many cases, return to their abuser.
“This is the first official fundraiser that is fully tasked to the Genesis House transitional housing project. They are working on fundraising for a 25 unit transitional housing project that they would like to complete,” said Bueckert.
“Transitional housing is the secondary housing after the shelter. Currently they have one unit and are in real need for more as the housing demand is tough right now,” she said.
Ride for Refuge which is run / operated nation wide by Blue Sea Foundation, which also runs the Coldest Walk of the Year event that Central Station ran last year,” she noted. “They approached Genesis House to see if we wanted to participate in this event, so this is our first year doing it, and we are so grateful for all the support.”
