On April 25th, the Tarry family of Surrey, BC, organized the very first BC Stay-at-Home Campout to raise awareness about staying at home for the safety of ourselves and our community. Families could participate by donating a minimum $5 “camping fee,” that would be donated to our Emergency Response Fund.
From make-shift forts in living rooms, to camping tents set up on patios, balconies, and backyards, countless families across BC and beyond participated and shared pictures of their “campout” in the event’s Facebook group.
Because the event was so well received, they decided to do it again and set a new date of May 16th, during BC’s usual camping kick-off weekend. In total, $4,755 was raised from 155 participants, smashing the Tarry’s initial goal of $1,000.
The event garnered attention from sources like Destination British Columbia, Vancouver Mom, Peace Arch News, The Columbia Valley Pioneer, and Daily Hive, and spread it across their channels, attracting even more participants for the May 16th campout. BC Centre for Disease Control staff also got involved in the fun, with one staff member participating “catio” style (with her cat, on her patio)!
We extend a huge thank you to the Tarry family for organizing this creative and fun event, and to all who participated in it.
Your generosity is making a big difference to our Emergency Response Fund and the COVID-19 research the BC Centre for Disease Control is doing. If you want to support the Emergency Response Fund and haven’t yet, you can do so here.
