The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce knows that local businesses play a significant role in shaping and improving their communities. This week, we spoke with Michael Thorton from Sooke Point Ocean Cottages for a close-to-home example of small business in action.
For the second year running, Sooke Point Ocean Cottages is dedicating a substantial amount of resources to supporting charitable lotteries. This year it pledged one of its spectacular Surfside Yacht Suites as a grand prize for three separate charitable provincial lotteries.
Thornton explained that when Sooke Point was approached by Hometown Heroes and other lotteries, “We chose to participate because it’s a positive way to build our Sooke Point brand while supporting wonderfully worthwhile causes in the process.
“The Hometown Heroes Lottery raises funds for hospitals and health-care teams to deliver specialized care for burn and trauma survivors. The B.C. Children’s Hospital Lottery has already helped deliver more than $40 million in direct benefits to children across Canada and around the world.”
Sooke Point is a prime example of local businesses collaborating with other organizations to bring great benefits not only to their own business but also to the Sooke Region.
The Amber Academy Youth Fine Arts Society, a newly-minted and rapidly growing non-profit organization focused on empowering youth through the fine arts, is another example of wildly successful community activism. Offering a variety of after-school classes accessible to all families with annual membership fees ranging from $50 to $75. The classes offer students a chance to collaborate on different elements of the fine arts, offering lessons through volunteerism and community collaboration.
As the chamber heads into its 70th year of operation with a renewed focus on community collaboration and tourism-led economic development, we applaud and appreciate the ripple effect these organizations have on our community.
In addition to the many exciting developments at Sooke Point and Amber Academy, the chamber recently announced the launch of the Wild Coast Expo.
Taking place at SEAPARC Leisure Centre on April 7-8, the expo seeks to build off the success of the regional tourism industry and our community’s world-class outdoor recreation lifestyle.
The expo aims to showcase our local businesses involved in tourism and outdoor recreation as well as all the activity opportunities the region has to offer. To find out more about the Wild Coast Expo visit www.WildCoastExpo.com. Connect with the chamber on social media @WildCoastExpo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
To learn more about the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce and its upcoming initiatives in the region, go online to www.sookeregionchamber.com. If you or a business, you know is doing great things for the business community, or the Sooke Region, the chamber wants to know about it. Email info@sookeregionchamber.com.
•••
Submitted by the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce.