Sudbury Social Planning Council wins $10K donation

A different kind of vote was taken in Sudbury city council chambers Wednesday night for an event called "100 Strong".

A total of 100 Sudburians each donated 100 dollars. They then heard presentations from 5 charities drawn from a hat and voted on which one would receive a cheque for $10,000.

The cheque found its home with the the Sudbury Social Planning Council's community emergency fund, which gives out small amounts of money to help Sudburians — many of them single parents — buy food, medicine or other essentials.

This is the second year for the 100 Strong event, said organizer Anna Barsanti.

“You don't go out the door and go 'Oh darn, it wasn't me.' You let the cheque go, you let the money go, because that's the charity that needs the money this time."

Social Planning Council executive director Janet Gasparini said the donation will “blow the minds” of those involved in the charity.

Gasparini noted the emergencies the council helps fund include a weekend's worth of groceries for a needy family or a bus ticket for someone trying to make it home.

"And I think if a community loses that capacity to quickly respond to issues, they become much bigger issues, for want of $75."

Another 19 Sudbury charities were nominated in the 100 Strong competition, including the Salvation Army and the Sudbury Theatre Centre.