RELEASE: EOCF spreads holiday cheer with more than $300,000 in funding

EDMONTON, AB - Today, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) announced its Christmas fundraising efforts of more than $300,000, spreading Christmas cheer to many charitable organizations throughout northern Alberta this holiday season.
Most recently, the Shirts Off our Backs holiday campaign presented by Rogers helped support the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton (Christmas Bureau), a longstanding partner of the EOCF. The Oilers Foundation and Oilers Ladies helped raise awareness and funds for the organization's holiday campaign, projected to help provide more than 40,000 Edmontonians with festive meals this holiday season.
Each year, the EOCF's Christmas funding aims to make the season a little brighter for charities in Alberta. In addition to the Christmas Bureau, some of this year's funding recipients include: Abbottsfield Youth Project, AboutFace, Adaptabilities, B's Supporting Youth Foundation, Camp He Ho Ha, Edmonton Public Schools Foundation, Excel Society, Grande Prairie & District Catholic Schools Education Fund, Hope Mission, Young Alberta Book Society and WINGS of Providence Society (WINGS).

"The EOCF recognizes the holiday season can be a particularly difficult time for many of our local individuals and families," says Janet Riopel, Board Chair, Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. "We are so thankful for the generosity of our community, allowing the opportunity to invest more than $300,000 in Christmas funding to so many deserving organizations around northern Alberta."
WINGS, a new recipient of the EOCF's Christmas funding, works to provide comprehensive transitional programs and independent living for women with children who have experienced family violence.
"Through the generous support of the EOCF, WINGS is able to provide hope and healing to women and children who are escaping abuse. The trauma informed supports and interventions offered by our Children's Programs help to mitigate the impact of domestic violence on children," said Rhonda Janzen, Manager of Resources and Developments, WINGS. "It is through the amazing support of the EOCF that we can reduce suffering and offer full circle healing to help children become stable, access new skills and set a healthy course for their life. The ripple effect will last generations."
The EOCF is dedicated to supporting programs with a focus on education, minor hockey programming for youth, and health and wellness, including Camp Trailblazers.
"Camp Trailblazers provides a safe space where children with facial differences can build friendships with peers and gain confidence and self-esteem in a fun summer camp environment," said Danielle Griffin, Executive Director, AboutFace. "AboutFace is grateful to the EOCF for their generous donation which will create amazing camp experiences for local kids living with differences attending camp in Alberta in 2020."
To learn more about the EOCF's work in the community, visit
OilersFoundation.ca
.