United Way of Okotoks was presented with a cheque in the amount of $6798.95 on Tuesday.

The funds were raised throughout October (United Way Month,) through several means including an auction, a jail 'n bail event, and donations from the general public.

One hundred percent of that funding is to be put back into the community, with eight local agencies having been funded a total of $85,000 in 2020.

United Way Chair Shawna Lawson says the jail 'n bail event, stylized as the "Tailgate Bailout" was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined, given the circumstances.

The overwhelming generosity was undoubtedly the main contributor to that success, though Lawson says they had a stroke of luck with the favourable weather.

"We had great weather, and thank goodness because it snowed the following week!"

Though the jail 'n bail served as the main event of the month, Lawson says countless residents and local businesses played a huge role.

"I'd phone someone and they'd say 'what do you need?' Or the Mayor would phone and say 'I'll be right down with a cheque.' It's amazing how generous people were."

The presentation occurred at Hub Town Brewing, which also hosted the Tailgate Bailout.

Hub Town's owners Mark and Lisa Watts also contributed a portion of the sales from their 1882 Golden Ale to the United Way of Okotoks, a practice they've been doing since January of 2020, with a different recipient each month.

Lisa says they were thrilled to play such a big role in this year's United Way month, especially considering Hub Town opened just over a year ago.

"That was a huge compliment, that they thought we could be a part of something like that. We're just babies, we're just over a year old, and we're trying to do what we can at every turn."

Mark says it's almost a kind of obligation.

"The support for us has been huge, so we should do our best to give back."

For more information on the United Way Okotoks Partnership, click here.

 

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