Communities across Western Canada have masked up to help raise $10,000 for the Make- A-Wish Foundation BC & Yukon.

BraveFace, a new sustainable brand of organic masks, partnered with Black Press Media and the Make-A-Wish Foundation BC & Yukon to donate net proceeds from mask sales to children facing life-threatening conditions.

More than 2,000 masks were sold to support critically ill children who are literally putting up a brave face every day and going through some really incredibly difficult things, says Kemp Edwards, co-founder of BraveFace.

The fundraiser has also been an upside to fundraising challenges like many in the charitable sector during the pandemic.

Make-A-Wish Canada reports a revenue shortfall of $8 million nationally due to fundraising challenges with COVID-19.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been especially hard on our fundraising, we鈥檝e had canceled events, canceled fundraising, we鈥檙e just not in the same places we鈥檝e been last year, 鈥� says Laura Ullock, manager of resource development at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, BC and Yukon chapter.

By being published across 72 Black Press Media publications, the fundraiser bridged communities together in an effort to continue the magic of wish granting, says Ullock.

鈥淎 wish is something that gives a child a chance to just be a kid again, she says, 鈥渁nd the opportunity to look outside of their illness.鈥�

The fundraiser touched businesses like the Wolfe Auto Group who personally granted the wish of a little eight year old girl from Langley. Dozens of local businesses from B.C., Alberta, and Yukon purchased masks to contribute to the campaign.

Edwards鈥� echoes community connection was at the core of the fundraiser with businesses and locals purchasing for their family, employees, and neighbours.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about community building, it鈥檚 about protecting your neighbors. It鈥檚 about, you know, making sure that everybody has access,鈥� he says.

For Edwards, the fundraiser was an opportunity to give back to the community while offering socially conscious masks. While being made from 100 per cent organic cotton, the masks are also designed and manufactured in British Columbia. We wanted to use organic material that isn鈥檛 dyed, with heavy chemicals because this what people are breathing through, says Edwards.

BraveFace is working on a proposal to continue helping families nationally. Edwards says, 鈥渢hese efforts would further help provinces having a really hard time with the pandemic.鈥�

Despite the pandemic challenges, donations from the BraveFace fundraiser will allow The Make-A-Wish Foundation BC & Yukon to continue working tirelessly to grant wishes such as backyard playgrounds, custom gaming computers, electric bikes. The foundation looks forward to granting travel wishes when it is safe to do so, says Ullock.

For more details visit your local Black Press Media community news website, or .

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