MORRISBURG – Since 2015, the 100 Women Who Care About South Dundas group have raised over $120,000 for projects in the community. This year’s edition, held June 10 at Stone Crop Acres Winery, saw five community organizations and projects vie for funding, with two ultimately winning.
The Community Hub and Warming Centre in Morrisburg, operated by the House of Lazarus and community partners – asked for $5,000 for the installation of a new laundry set (washer and dryer) plus electrical and plumbing upgrades to facilitate the new equipment. The current laundry set at the Hub is used several times per day each week, and adding a second set would help more people access the needed equipment.
The House of Lazarus was the top-vote-getting organization, and received the full $5,000 asked for. Marije Harbers and Kristina McDermott with the HoL told The Leader after the event concluded that work would start immediately to start the renovation to allow for the new washer and dryer.
Long-time community volunteer Michael Burton presented a plan and ask for up to $15,000 to install a solar-powered crosswalk at the corner of Cruickshank Way and Sir James Morris Street to improve safety for people going between the Morrisburg Waterfront Park and Earl Baker Park. Burton told the 100 women in attendance at the event that it was all about safety. The project is being installed with the support of the Municipality of South Dundas.
Burton’s project was second in the voting, and received $6,350 Tuesday night. Any additional donations received by the 100 Women group up to $10,000 will go towards the solar-powered crosswalk. He told The Leader he expected the crosswalk across Cruickshank Way would go in sometime this year, once all the funding is raised.
Other community groups that presented include the Morrisburg Cenotaph project, which pitched $10,000 towards its $160,000 plan to relocate the multiple cenotaphs and monuments in Morrisburg to one central location in the waterfront park.
The Historical Society of South Dundas presented a $10,000 ask for the Forward House project, to put support jacks and footings in for the 200 year old logs used for the first floor joists in the stone house in Iroquois.
The Multi-Use Pad project for Earl Baker Park presented a $10,000 ask for their recreation sport pad to be built in Earl Baker Park as well.
Organizing co-chair Janeen Wagemans spoke before the announcement of the winners of the support from Scotiabank in the 2024 100 Women fundraising. The bank contributed a donation of $2,000 in addition to the $5,350 that was donated to Dundas County Hospice that year.
Over 180 women were on the list as donors this year for the 100 Women event, of which 100 had attended Tuesday night – with some giving more than the requisite $100 donation.
The 100 Women Who Care movement started nearly two decades ago. The fundraising concept provides a venue for a group to get together and pick one project to give a monetary financial boost to. Projects have to be in the community, and any woman can join for the cost of a $100 donation, to get one vote. Groups pitch their plans, and a simple democratic vote decides where the donations go.
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