The campground that gives back.
The Bow Rivers Edge Campground Society (BRECS) donated $50,000 to go towards Fort McMurray rebuilding efforts.
“This is the first time we’ve donated out of the area, but we thought this was a good cause and (the evacuees) should be helped,” explained Derek Begin, chairman of BRECS board.
The not-for-profit business typically donates all the proceeds from the campground back into the community through grants and bursaries for community based organizations but after the wildfire devastation that tore through Fort McMurray and surrounding area, the board of directors made the decision to donate money to the rebuilding efforts and help the evacuees.
“Because it was a natural disaster, we thought it would be a good cause to donate to and we thought it would be a good idea to give to the different foundations that are known in Cochrane,” Begin said.
The $50,000 will be spilt in half with $25,000 donated to the Rotary Club of Cochrane and $25,000 donated towards the Lions Club of Cochrane. The funds will then be passed along to the Rotary District 5360 Foundation and the Lions of Alberta Foundation, where the money will be distributed to individuals and projects related to rebuilding.
The campground, located along the Bow River in Cochrane, hosts 30 and 50 amp sites with power, water and sewer and complimentary basic WiFi and there is a 10 per cent discount on nightly rates available to Rotary and Lions members, Good Sam Club members, senior citizens, local residents and groups of fives sites or more.
The society and board of directors was started as between the Cochrane Lions Club, the Rotary service clubs of Cochrane, the municipal district of Rocky View no. 44 and the Town of Cochrane as a ‘capital re-investment’ partnership. Approximately $1.5 million has been given back to the community in the last five years, Begin said.
For more information on the Bow Rivers Edge Campground Society, go to bowriversedge.com
