CAW donates $20,000 to Save PCCM Fund Campaign

Performers & music DJ, businesses donate talents, services and in-kind goods

The Philippine-Canadian Center of Manitoba (PCCM) on February 15, 2008 launched its “Bayanihan – Bahay-Bahay Fundraising Campaign to raise money to pay off its tax arrears of over $188,000 to the City of Winnipeg.

Highlights of the event include the presentation of $20,000 donation from the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union and $2195 from Inkster MLA Kevin Lamoureux.

The CAW donation was secured through the representation made by PCCM Recording Secretary Evelyn Sy who is also president of CAW local 2169 and a CAW national executive board member. MLA Kevin Lamoureux raised his contribution by holding a social at PCCM on February 9, 2008 (see p 22 for more info and photos).

The evening netted a total donation of more than $24,000 including individual donations from other attendees. The details will be published in the next issue of PCCM Today Newsletter.

The money collected will be used to reduce the tax loan from Entegra Credit Union which advanced the tax arrear payment to the City of Winnipeg to meet PCCM’s deadline for payment last February 5, 2008.
PCCM also received in-kind donation of t-shirts and two sets of bumper stickers which read Proud to be Pinoy and Save PCCM from Jimmy Sy of Sunwest Screens Graphics Company.

The 6000 pieces of stickers are being sold for $1@ while the t-shirts are going for $20.@ Sunlife Financial also presented their donation of a medical device, an Automated External Defibrillators (AED), the only known device that stops the chaotic electrical heart activity and allows the heart to re-pace itself to a normal rhythm and increase survival rate of cardiac arrest victims.
 
SUNLIFE Financial Branch Manager Jason Bonneteau along with his staff of Financial Advisors from the Filipino Community – Fred de Villa, Mila Tamayo and Tess Newton who is also a PCCM board member made the presentation.

PCCM wishes to thank the generosity and support from the donors and the local talents who entertained the guests and the businesses that donated their services and food donation for the refreshment.