COVID-19 may be cutting into the fundraising drives of Tri-City charities.
But one Coquitlam accountant is hoping to help out with a large donation that could be boon to a community program.
Sharon Perry, a chartered professional accountant and owner of Sharon Perry and Associates on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam, is offering a $50,000 donation to a local charity as a way to celebrate her 10 years in business while also supporting groups struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
“There’s a lot of need,” acknowledges Perry who started an accountancy firm in her basement in 2011, “and I’ve benefited a lot from community support over the years.”
Perry, who has three children and lives in Coquitlam, said her business has contributed to numerous charities but, this year, she decided a large contribution was in order. “I just hope what I do does help,” she told the Tri-City News.
The need has been great over the year, Perry said, with more families needing to use the food bank and requiring help from their local schools at Christmas, to the local homeless population that has struggled to find a warm bed.
Perry said she hopes the money will be put to good use, and said local charities are encouraged to apply. The funds could be given to one group or broken up to support a number of charities depending on the circumstances. “It may be 10 organizations that need $5,000, or one that needs $50,000,” said Perry.
Her family recently donated $1 million to the construction of the Bruce Kehler Cardiology department at Eagle Ridge Hospital, in memory of her father. “I feel very fortunate that I can support others,” Perry said.
