An anonymous donation of $2,000 that came in to the Castlegar RCMP detachment last year will be turned over to a seniors recreation program.
City council decided last week to give the money to Increasing Recreation Involving Seniors (IRIS) after their original plan to donate it to local cooling centres didn’t pan out. The centres didn’t need it.
The cash originally showed up late last year with instructions for police to disburse it as they saw fit. However, they aren’t able to accept or distribute such donations, so they turned it over to the city, leaving council to decide what to do with it.
City staff laid out four possibilities this month:
- Putting the money into reserves to use toward future grants
- Adding it to to the Phoenix Foundation neighbourhood small grant program
- Giving it to the cooling centres next year
- Donating it to IRIS
A majority of councillors agreed with the IRIS option.
“They are doing an awful lot of work in the community that’s badly needed and they’re very successful, but I know their funding is tight at all times,” councillor Brian Bogle said.
Councillor Shirley Falstead, however, suggested holding the money over until next year or putting it toward an outdoor washroom.