Fundraising for Educational Programs at Goldstream Provincial Park
There are certain natural wonders in this world that every child should have the chance to experience. The annual salmon run at Goldstream Provincial Park is one of them. Scientists are currently exploring the idea that our children are suffering from “nature deficit disorder”, and it is becoming increasingly important to include explorations in nature as part of a child’s education. In the past, local schoolchildren were able to step out into Victoria’s backyard and experience this amazing occurrence through provincially funded educational programs. Salmon Run programs at Goldstream Provincial Park became a fixture in the curriculum of our local schools. After provincial funding was withdrawn in 2002, and user fees for the programs were put in place, many schools and families were unable to afford this opportunity.
Fortunately, for the past six years, HAT has been working closely with Goldstream Nature House in a fundraising effort to keep these programs affordable for all students, regardless of economic status. This endeavor is known as the Goldstream Chums, a corporate sponsorship program where financial support is sought from local businesses and individuals to help offset costs for our local schools wishing to attend the Goldstream Salmon Run programs. In the past six years of the program, close to $100,000 of support has made it possible for over 25,000 of our community’s schoolchildren to attend these outdoor, experiential, nature education programs! This is absolutely amazing!
Our goal for 2010 is to continue and expand on the success of the Chums in the past. Each year more businesses are joining the effort to keep the Goldstream Salmon Run programs available to all children, allowing them to witness this incredible spectacle at a reduced cost. We hope that you will consider becoming involved in this worthwhile effort.
How the Goldstream Chums works:
There are five levels of support:
Legacy Level - $5000 – and Up – sponsoring ~50 classes
Vision Level - $1000 - $4999 – sponsoring ~10 classes
Leaders Level - $500 - $999 – sponsoring ~5 classes
Builders Level - $250 - $$499 – sponsoring ~2 classes
Friends Level - $1 - $249 – sponsoring ~1 class
To support Goldstream Chums, please contact the Goldstream Nature House at 250-478-9414 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also designate a donation to HAT to go towards the Goldstream Chums.
