Prestige Hotels and Resorts Announces Online Auction in Support of JoeAnna’s House
By Contributor
Prestige Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce that they’ve launched an online auction to raise money for JoeAnna’s House in Kelowna.
The online auction is live and open for bidding between June 6-20 and includes 40 incredible vacation packages and gift certificates that are now up for grabs. Packages are available for all of Prestige’s communities across BC including the Okanagan, Kootenay Rockies, Northern BC, and Vancouver Island, and include experiences such as wine tours, golf trips, extreme adventures, dining and spa, and much more.
As a family-owned company with 17 properties across B.C., President of Prestige Hotels & Resorts, Terry Schneider says that this auction is part of their ongoing commitment to raising funds for JoeAnna’s House, a home-away-from-home for family members of hospital patients at the Kelowna General Hospital. The home opened in 2018 and was named after Prestige’s founders, Josef and Anna Huber, and welcomes guests from all areas of BC.
“We are very pleased to be participating in this auction and using our wonderful destinations as a means to raise much-needed funds for this incredible facility” says Schneider.
“When we committed to building the home several years ago with our family’s donation towards the start-up costs, we also committed to annual fundraising efforts to ensure its ongoing operational costs are being supported,” he adds.
Prestige’s Director of Guest Experience, Robyn Yenney, says that this auction was developed by a team of Prestige staff members across the chain, and she’s excited to see the community rally together to support the fundraiser.
“We couldn’t do typical fundraisers like bake sales, garage sales or golf tournaments due to the pandemic, so we came up with the idea of auctioning off hotel stays, vacation packages, and gift certificates online instead,” Yenney said.
“The support we’ve received from partners across the province has been incredible. Local businesses have been very generous in donating prizes to partner with our hotel stays, and we really couldn’t have done it without their support,” she adds.
Kelowna Now is being recognized as a major media sponsor of the auction for its generosity in lending its online auction platform to Prestige at no cost. Bell Media, Pattison Media, and Kelowna General Hospital Foundation are also key partners, and Yenney states that more than 70 other BC-based businesses donated gift certificates and experiences to the auction.
The retail value of all the packages adds up to more than $25,000 and winning bidders will be able to use their prizes for summer holidays and exciting adventures this year (travel orders permitting).
“If you’re planning to travel around BC this year and enjoy a fun vacation, why not purchase an experience in our auction and have all the money go towards this great cause?” suggest Yenney. “With 100% of proceeds going to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation and JoeAnna’s House, it’s a win/win for everyone.”
A full list of items up for bidding can be found on this webpage, and a full list of all donors can be found here.
