Cochrane is currently searching for 100 men who “give a damn.”
Initiated by Tim Carlson and Rob Miller, the pair is searching for 100 men in Cochrane and surrounding area to “give a damn” and join the new 100 Men of Cochrane chapter.
The 100 Men Chapter, found in communities across Canada, invite men out for quarterly meetings asking them to bring $100 each to be donated to a local charity at each meeting.
“I was drawn to this because most people would love to give back but don’t necessarily have the time or resources, this group is designed for folks with limited time and resources who want to give back to others and make a difference,” said Rob Miller, one of the Cochrane group founders.
“I was a part of the Calgary chapter and always wanted to bring together a group of like-minded men from Cochrane.”
The organizers said they are not restricting potentials recipients to only Cochrane-based organizations but will be open to accepting nominations for the surrounding area, and organizations that serve Cochrane such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Calgary was easy because there was a tremendous amount of organizations in the city, here we want to keep it interesting while making a powerful difference in town,” Miller said.
The fundraising concept started in the United States with the 100 Women Who Care chapters with the idea to bring together 100 women to donate $100 each to a local charity. The town currently has a 100 Women Who Care Cochrane chapter that started last year. The women’s chapter has already donated more than $39,000 to Cochrane and surrounding area charities.
The men’s chapters have put their own spin on the clubs by inviting men to come out and “give a damn.”
Meetings are held quarterly, where each member can pitch which charity to donate to. Three charity names are pulled from a hat and members vote on which organization receives the funds.
Organizers ask for a minimum donation of $100 from each member per meeting but do not discourage donations of a higher amount if the member can afford it.
“It is wonderful to hear about organizations donations such as our making an impact,” Miller said.
The first meeting for the 100 Men Who Give a Damn – Cochrane will be hosted on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at Kilarney’s Pub.
For more information on the group check out the official social media accounts @100MenCochrane on Twitter and Facebook or email the organizers at [email protected]. The website is currently under construction.
SIDEBAR
How the 100 Chapters have already benefited Cochrane:
Donations made by the 100 Women Who Care Cochrane
$7,885 to Red Cross Alberta Fire Appeals
$6,530 to Big Hill Lodge
$7,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Cochrane and Area
$7,000 to Woods Home Foundation
$10,000 to University of Calgary Host Graft Research
