A Coquitlam woman who is raising money for the UN Refugee Agency is hoping a craft beer night next month will help her reach her $10,000 target by Feb. 14.
Candace Le Roy started the endeavour in early October after seeing the widely distributed and devastating photo of three-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach. The young Syrian had died with his brother and mother as they and their father tried to reach Greece in the hopes of one day coming to Canada.
"It just hit me and I thought of my son instantly, and I could not look away," said Le Roy, the director of SFU's Sustainability Office. "I really wanted to do something, anything, so I decided to focus on something I'm good at, which is organizing people and running events,"
In about two months Le Roy has raised just over $5,500. She started by selling some of her own belongings, then asking friends and family for donations, and, more recently, local businesses in exchange for ads on her website. Le Roy hopes an event on Feb. 13 that mixes craft beer with snacks and dessert will bridge the final gap.
The money raised will go to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the organization that provides immediate assistance such as food, water, shelter and medical care to refugees around the world.
"The UN Refugee Agency seemed to be the most effective and comprehensive of all the organizations that are helping refugees," Le Roy said, adding the UNHCR's goal is to help refugees who want to return home, if possible, and supports those transferred to different countries as they rebuild their lives.
And while Le Roy can't say for certain whether the money raised will help a Syrian refugee, she's hoping it will help a family like hers.
"Even if one person is helped to get out of the country and be safe, find a new home and make a new life for themselves," she said. "I don't know if $10,000 will get them there but I hope it's a start."
• The Bitter Sweet Valentine's event is on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Bitter Tasting Room in Vancouver and will feature craft beers paired with appetizers and desserts. For more details and info about Candace Le Roy's fundraising effort, visit www.unhcrfundraise10000.wordpress.com.
spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC
