Sault Ste. Marie's SOYA ramping up fundraising
A group in Sault Ste. Marie that's working to address the ongoing opioid crisis is getting its fundraising activities back into full-swing. Saving Our Young Adults - or SOYA - had to halt its usual fundraising initiatives when COVID-19 hit.
SOYA is partnering with Youth Homes on a yard sale fundraiser, which is to be held Saturday and Sunday. The first day was going well - until it started raining.
"Mother Nature didn't cooperate," says SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott. "We'll be back tomorrow from 8:00 to 2:00 on Sunday for the SOYA Youth Homes event."
The founder of Youth Homes, which helps at risk youth find a place to live and learn life skills, says they were planning a basement sale fundraiser just before the pandemic hit.
So since we opened up we decided to get things out of that basement and create a yard sale," says Denis Beaulieu. "So I partnered with SOYA so that we could join together and raise funds for both our initiatives."
Despite the wet weather on opening day, Raynor-Elliott says the yard sale is off to a good start.
"Our community stepped up, we worked at the depot here for nine hours just sorting out stuff," she says. "More donations kept coming in. This morning everybody came in, set up. Lots of people were coming in."
Raynor-Elliott points out that SOYA is a not-for-profit that depends on fundraisers, such as this weekend's yard sale, and she's hoping people will come out for day-two - and that the weather will be more accommodating.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.