Jewelry, spa treatments, gardening gift cards, date-night meals and Whistler adventures.
More than $20,000 in prizes are up for grabs in the fifth annual online auction hosted by the Amanda Todd Legacy Society, a Port Coquitlam-based charity that’s named in memory of a CABE student.
Officially opening on Friday (Oct. 1) and sponsored in part by the Tri-City News, the virtual auction will run two weeks, until Oct. 14, in the hopes of bringing in at least $10,000 from the 268 items on the block.
“It’s just amazing that we have had so much support from the businesses, organizations and individuals from afar,” Todd’s mother, Carol, told the Tri-City News on Monday.
Carol Todd said several donors are new to this year’s campaign, having been touched by her daughter’s story — nine years after her death.
Amanda Todd’s struggles with cyberbullying and mental health continue to resonate today, Carol Todd said, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown when most people gravitated to their computers and mobile devices to reach out.
“We know that her story is still relevant,” Carol Todd said, adding, “I speak with parents and grandparents all the time who just don’t know what their kids are doing online and how to control it.”
She added, “Amanda’s is a tragic story, but we’ve built it into a hopeful story. The loss of a child is horrific but I truly believe that from what happened to Amanda, we can learn to make society better and more cognizant of mental health, as well as make the digital community safer.”
Proceeds from the online auction will be spent on the society’s initiatives, such as the Douglas College Foundation bursaries in Amanda’s name and the Amanda Todd Legacy Fund through the Vancouver Foundation, to help families in need; money will also be spent on the Rotary Club’s Starfish backpacks, for students to feed their families on the weekends.
Carol Todd said the online auction, through the platform 32 Auctions, is also a good place for shoppers to look for Christmas gifts.
Visit amandatoddlegacy.org (click on Legacy Auction) to see the prizes available.
LIGHT IT UP
Meanwhile, the Tri-Cities will be lit in purple on Oct. 10 in support of the Amanda Todd Legacy Society and to recognize World Mental Health Day.
In Coquitlam, the Lafarge Lake fountain lights, as well as the light columns and Evergreen Extension guideway pillars will be illuminated in purple, while in Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, the city halls will beam purple on the day; the Inlet fire hall in Port Moody will also glow purple on Oct. 10.
