Victoria, BC (November 18, 2020) – United Way Greater Victoria (UWGV) has partnered to bring some sparkle to #YYJ with the Fairmont Empress , DEVINE Distillery & Winery, and various local artisans to host Greater Victoria’s largest virtual Holiday Office Party for 2020. All funds raised will warm isolated seniors bellies and their hearts through United Way’s More than Meals program.
What: Sip & Sparkle Soirée
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Time: 5:30pm – 7pm via Zoom
Price: Individual ticket: $50*, Group ticket rate (for your “safe six”): $250*
*Tax receipt available for a portion of ticket price
Tickets can be purchased at uwgv.ca/sparkle
Participants will receive a holiday kit complete with a 100 ml bottle of DEVINE Honey Amber Shine rum (mocktail options are available), cocktail ingredients, sweet treats from the Fairmont Empress and an auction booklet in order to bid on unique arts and crafts items like artwork and jewelry created by local artisans.
Participants will be encouraged to deck their rooms for zoom. All types of sparkle are encouraged. The winner of the “Deck your halls” contest will receive a $100 gift card to Peninsula Co-op.
“This holiday season will obviously be very different due to COVID-19, but the desire and spirit to come together with friends and family in a safe and fun manner is highly appealing so we came up with the idea to host a virtual holiday office party like no other. It’s a win-win-win for all – the ticket price helps feed isolated seniors in our community, celebrates local businesses, and provides people with a venue to get their sparkle on for the season with friends, family and/or coworkers,” said Mark Breslauer, CEO of United Way Greater Victoria.
All proceeds from the virtual holiday party will support isolated seniors in Greater Victoria through United Way’s More than Meals program. This vital program supports seniors that have limited ability to cook for themselves by offering balanced healthy meals delivered to their house. It also offers these seniors critically important social visits and connections to the outside world.
Many seniors in the CRD experience extreme loneliness and isolation throughout the year, but it can compound during the holidays. Adding COVID-19 to the mix, this program is a critically important lifeline.
Sponsored by OCEAN 98.5, Times Colonist and Chek News.
– 30 –
More than Meals
United Way’s More than Meals program offers seniors healthy meals delivered to their homes together with friendly visits. Many seniors in the CRD experience extreme loneliness and isolation, malnutrition or food insecurity, mobility issues and limited income that greatly impacts their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Since launching More than Meals in March 2020, the program has grown from delivering 200 meals a week to 1,200 meals a week for seniors. More than Meals initially launched with support from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund. United Way is appealing to all citizens to help maintain this program into the future.
Media Contacts
Heather Skydt
Director Marketing and Communications
United Way Greater Victoria
heather@uwgv.ca
Cell: 250-686-3606
