It is said time is money, and in the case of an upcoming charity event, that is certainly the case.
Timeraiser, a United Way event, will take place Nov. 21. Participants will pledge time rather than money at a silent art auction.
Gabi Deryck, youth leadership co-ordinator with the United Way of Chatham-Kent, is in charge of the event.
“It is part silent auction, part volunteer affair, part night out,” she said. “People don’t bid with money; they bid with volunteer hours.”
Deryck said all the artwork that will be up for “sale” that night will have already been purchased by business sponsors, who pay for the art in support of the evening.
Rather than use the donated cash to fund programs, it ultimately helps the art community and United Way member agencies.
“Chatham-Kent non-profit agencies are looking for skilled volunteers to sit on their boards, do graphic design work, and more,” she said. “People bid by hours to help the agency or agencies they want to work with.”
After the auction, the art will be displayed at the business sponsor’s location for a year, as the successful bidder completes his or her volunteer time with the non-profit group or groups. At the next Timeraiser, Deryck said the art gets transferred to the bidder.
The concept may sound a bit complicated, but Deryck said the benefits are tangible, and go beyond a typical fundraiser.
She said for every $21 invested in a Timeraiser, $6.72 goes to an emerging artist, $3.36 goes to a social enterprise, and there is one skilled volunteer hour – valued at $25 – going to a non-profit group. Add it up, and you get $35 in aid – 1.5 times more than the original $21 investment.
“A lot of times, non-for-profits struggle to get enough volunteers,” she said. “They hold volunteer fairs, but they are not always able to fill their needs. This (Timeraiser) is a win-win-win situation. Everybody’s getting something out of it.”
Timeraisers aren’t new. They’ve been taking place in various Canadian cities for a decade. The roots of Timeraiser lie in Chatham-Kent. Deryck said Anil Patel, son of the late Dr. Raj Patel, is one of the minds behind Timeraiser, Deryck said. In fact, he’s the executive director of the group that oversees the project.
She said other local people, such as Ryan Poissant and Alysson Storey are also involved. Poissant is the chair of Timeraiser.
Deryck said Timeraisers can be particularly attractive to university students, or recent graduates.
“This is an attempt to bring some of our university students back to Chatham-Kent,” she said. “Volunteering in a skilled capacity can help people get the experience they need to succeed.”
Deryck knows all about the importance of getting one’s foot in the proverbial door. She volunteered with the United Way and wound up getting the youth leadership co-ordinator position when it became available.
“They got to see what I could offer.”
Deryck said she’s still looking for artists and business sponsors to help make the night a success. Any interested parties can contact her at the United Way offices at 519-354-0430 or by e-mail at gabriela@uwock.ca.
Timeraiser Chatham-Kent takes place at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Bradley Convention Centre. Earlybird tickets, on sale until Oct. 31, are just $10. After that, the price goes to $20.
Deryck said along with the silent auction, there will be appetizers and live music.
