Fundraiser aims to help B.C. infant awaiting heart transplant in Edmonton
Students, faculty and community members joined a fundraiser at Vancouver Career College in Abbotsford on Saturday to benefit a baby girl in need of a heart transplant.
Nine-month-old Rennah was born with mitral regurgitation and cardiomyopathy, which means a valve in her heart does not work properly, according to the GoFundMe page for her family's expenses.
Rennah's mother Aiesha - a Vancouver Career College student - and the rest of her family are currently staying with the child in Edmonton, awaiting a heart transplant.
As of Saturday, the online fundraiser was still $15,000 short of its $50,000 goal, something the in-person fundraiser aimed to change.
Alison Patchett is a social services worker instructor at the college and one of the organizers of the fundraiser. She said students had organized a host of activities, including a garage sale, a barbecue, haircuts and nail painting by donation, raffle baskets and a silent auction.
The centrepiece of the fundraiser, however, was the "Locked Up for Love" event, which saw college staff and local officials locked up and a "bail" amount set for each one. The individuals would not be released until they had raised enough money to meet their "bail."
The college planned to match every dollar raised by the community during Saturday's event with two additional dollars, tripling the overall impact of the fundraiser, according to the college's Facebook page.
"As (social service work) students, we want to support, as much as possible, anybody in our community or surrounding community that is in need," Patchett said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.