A local not-for-profit organization was the recipient of a large donation from Kootenay Rotary clubs today.
The money was given by the Rotary Clubs of Cranbrook, Invermere, Kimberley and Fernie, so Angel Flight can continue community-focused work.
The organization was founded in 2019 by Brent Bidston with the goal of providing free flights to people needing to get to medical appointments in Kelowna.
Bidston said donations like this one are what keep Angel Flight in the air.
“Angel Flight depends entirely on donation, we charge nobody anything so we have no income, but the donations have been fantastic right from the day we started and happily they continue. As long as these donations keep coming in we will continue serving.”
The proceeds were raised through the Rotary Community Online Bingo.
“Thank you everyone for your ongoing support of Rotary Online Bingo. Collectively this past year we have managed to make a big difference in many communities across BC,” Rotary Club officials said in a statement.
“We are excited for what comes next and the great things that we will be able to do together.”
According to Bidston, the money will go directly back to the community.
“This money will go to pay for the actual operation of Angel Flight, so it will go directly to assisting residents of the East Kootenay. We are locally based, we only serve the community and this money will go to the benefit of residents of the East Kootenay.”
The funds will help them with the operations of a new aircraft so they can serve more people.
“We have our volunteer pilots with their own aircrafts and we will continue to use those, but thanks to the generosity of our major donors we are looking at getting a more capable airplane and we’ll be able to help people out when the weather isn’t quite as good,” added Bidston.
Angel Flight currently flies from airports in Cranbrook, Creston, Golden, Invermere, Nelson and Sparwood.