Business Gives Back fundraising luncheon taking a year off

PENTICTON – Organizers of Penticton's Business Gives Back are taking a year off as Gitta Schoenne and the three other members of the board find themselves too busy for the undertaking this year.

“I've been in charge of it for 18 years,” Schoenne says, confident of its return in years to come.

“We’ve all just been so busy — it’s a huge undertaking,” she says.

Business Gives Back raises money for local charities and families in need by hosting a luncheon. Business owners buy tickets to attend, bringing a donation representative of their business, or they donate cash.

“We try to purchase items at cost, and auction them off,” Schoenne explained, noting that 1.2 million had been donated back to the community, in addition to the establishment of a legacy fund with Community Futures.

Schoenne says the event raised a record $88,000 in one luncheon. She adds the group has $30,000 left over from last year. Some of that money will go to families in need, and some will be directed to a legacy fund.

“Our capital in the legacy fund generates $3,200 per year,” she says, money that will also be distributed to families suffering illness, or to charitable events such as school breakfast programs.

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Steve Arstad

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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