A Winnipeg Beach resident’s continuing dedication to helping children and adults with disabilities has resulted in her raising over $160,000 to date for the St. Amant Centre in Winnipeg.
For the last nine or so years, Odette Carreiro has been raising money for St. Amant, a not-for-profit organization that supports Manitobans with developmental disabilities, autism and acquired brain injuries. St. Amant cared for Carreiro’s son, Mark, until he passed away in 2020 after contracting COVID-19.
Carreiro set up a “Bidding Wars for St. Amant” Facebook page that allows Interlake residents and others to bid on items that are donated to her. The proceeds are then turned over to the St. Amant Foundation.
“The money I raise goes to all of Marky’s friends and other people who use St. Amant’s services. My goal is to help these children and young adults and those that need special equipment,” said Carreiro. “I just sent St. Amant $10,000 not too long ago to help a woman that is very disabled and needed a few pieces like a walker and a special lift for a swimming pool. I can’t explain how satisfying it is to help. And it’s all in Marky’s honour and memory.”
Mark was a healthy baby when he was born in 1984, but after he received a vaccination for whooping cough, he started having seizures. That eventually led to brain damage. Carreiro cared for him at home for the first 15 years of his life before he moved to St. Amant for specialized care.
“After Marky passed away, I kind of went full swing ahead and put more passion into my bidding wars site and it has been growing in the last two years,” said Carreiro. “It’s very popular across the Interlake. I get people from towns such as Petersfield, Teulon, Fraserwood, Arborg and Riverton, plus lots of people from Winnipeg and nurses that have worked at St. Amant.”
Although St. Amant is a Winnipeg-based organization, children with special needs from the Interlake can use its services and equipment.
The popularity of the bidding wars site has taken off, with residents and businesses supporting her fundraiser, said Carreiro. She started out by posting her own unwanted household items on Facebook and had a handful of people bidding on them. Then residents starting bringing her household items, books and other items they no longer had a need for and asking her to post them online.
“People were bringing me a boxful of stuff they’d find in their house because they thought it was neat that we were essentially recycling and that one hundred per cent of the proceeds go to St. Amant,” said Carreiro. “It’s shocking how much the site has grown. I went from about five people to over 2,000 people.”
Some of the goods people donate to her are of “unbelievably good quality or brand new,” she said. She takes a photo of each item, posts it on her Facebook page and opens up the bidding.
“I have half a garage [to store donated items] that my sweet man gave me,” said Carreiro, who serves as the Town of Winnipeg Beach’s gardener and landscaper. “If I take a break for a week, people will text me and say ‘When are you putting the next bids up?’”
Local businesses such as Shenanigan’s restaurant in Winnipeg Beach fundraised for a whole year for St. Amant after Mark passed away, she said, and others have also stepped up to support her.
“Cheryl Buhler [former owner] from Robin’s Donuts in Gimli has been very supportive and Carlo’s Cucina [restaurant in Winnipeg Beach] has been too,” said Carreiro. “They’ve given me gift certificates for live giveaways that I do about once a month to thank the people who have been donating.”
Because of the popularity of the site, Carreiro said she has a number of “wonderful” volunteers helping her sort items, do photo shoots and record the winning bids.
St. Amant Foundation executive director Juliette Mucha said Carreiro is the foundation’s “hero” for her efforts to support children and adults with disabilities, including their families, and advocating for inclusion and quality of life.
“I count myself lucky to have someone like Odette who has not only raised over $160,000 for St. Amant, but has also increased awareness of its services and is always an important advocate for quality services for people with disabilities,” said Mucha. “In addition to her own fundraising through Bidding Wars for St. Amant, Odette is always looking for connections and partnerships. She puts in many hours every single day to keep Bidding Wars going with a dedication rivaled by no other volunteer.”
The funds raised by Carreiro have contributed to St. Amant clients’ quality of life in areas including mobility and recreational activities, she said.
