Big White & TELUS Donate $19K to Kelowna Women’s Shelter in time for International Women’s Day

Posted On: March 09, 2022 |

On March 8, International Women’s Day, Big White Ski Resort Ltd and TELUS presented the Kelowna Women’s Shelter with a cheque for $19,415.60, raised during the annual TELUS Kelowna Cup at the end of February.

“Every year, our team is blown away by the generosity of our partners at TELUS and all of the skiers and snowboarders who come out every year to race down the snowcross track,” says Kimberley Ferguson, Assistant Manager of Guest Services at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. “Giving back to the community is an important aspect of the Big White brand, and we are so pleased to work with the Kelowna Women’s Shelter, especially on a day where women around the world are celebrated and recognized.”

Since the inaugural event in 2015, the TELUS Kelowna Cup has raised over $168,000 for local charities and non-profit organizations in the Kelowna area – including the Big White Ski Club and the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be the charity of choice for this event,” says Ester Pike, Resource Development Coordinator at the shelter. “Big White Ski Resort has been supporting our shelter for a number of years now by organizing fundraisers of clothing and gift cards, but this is the first year that we were invited to be a part of the TELUS Kelowna Cup. “It is such a massive support for us, not only because of the huge impact donations have on helping us continue to support the women and children in need of our services and programs, but also the growth in awareness and advocacy for our cause. We cannot do this alone, and it is a blessing to have strong supporters like Big White and TELUS supporting our vision and mission.”

Donations to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter help facilitate individualized domestic abuse support, domestic abuse education, shelter, and basic needs, including food and personal items, to women and children, leaving abuse and violence.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Big White Ski Resort to support the long-standing tradition of the TELUS Kelowna Cup and the community’s incredible spirit of giving back,” said Patrick Barron, Vice-president Corporate Citizenship & Community Investment at TELUS. At TELUS, we believe we have a responsibility to help make the world a better place and help connect Canadians to what matters most. Through the life-saving work of the Kelowna Women’s Shelter we are honoured to be able to do just that, supporting critical programs and services that provide immediate support to women and children in need.”