Fundraising
Valley Search and Rescue (VSAR) is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization based in Kings County which started finding and rescuing lost persons in 1971. We are on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Besides Search and Rescue activities, we do woods-proofing classes for children, and are a resource for civil emergencies and natural disasters.
We do receive grants, but a significant portion of our operating budget and equipment must be gained through fundraising and donations. Our major means of fundraising is threefold:
- 50/50 draws - online monthly through the website Rafflebox, and in the summer at the Coldbrook Lion’s weekly BINGO.
- Annual firewood and other prize draws, usually held in the late summer and fall.
- Occasional community events where our help is needed.
Thank you for considering supporting us through a donation or participating in one of our fundraisers - 100% of the money we receive goes directly towards team expenses and equipment.
50/50 Raffles
Valley Search and Rescue run two 50/50 raffles, one during the summer at the behest of the Coldbrook and District Lion's Club at their Drive-In BINGOS https://www.coldbrooklions.com/drive-in-projects, and the other a monthly on-line 50/50 raffle through the Rafflebox website at: https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/nssar/15.
People play Bingo on Tuesday nights during the summer and Sunday afternoons in September at the Coldbrook Drive-In and we run the 50/50 with the draw occurring at the mid-time break. You have to be there to participate.
For the on-line 50/50 raffle we are only one of the Nova Scotia SAR teams participating and it can only be played on-line. Visit the web site, choose a SAR team to support and buy a ticket (or tickets) with a debit or credit card. Draws are held electronically the day after the raffle closes. 50% of the pot goes to the winner and the residual after expenses is distributed to all participating teams according to their support.
Firewood Raffle
Valley Search & Rescue had four cords of wood donated by CW firewood of Berwick to raffle off as a fundraiser. This year, we did an online auction through the Valley Search and Rescue Facebook page.
We are only able to provide the firewood to Nova Scotia residence and for logistical reasons, the winner must be within Kings County.
The winners of this year‘s inline auction(2023) were:
- Judy Burke
- Doug Ralph
(cwfirewood@gmail.com and 902-691-0328)