TORONTO: The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) launched its 'Oxygen for India' marathon fundraiser to collect $2 million to send oxygen equipment to India. Almost $500,000 was raised during the very first session of the marathon fundraiser on Sunday. It will be held for three hours every Sunday for four weeks.
ICCC president Vijay Thomas said their initiative aims at garnering donations not only from the 1.6 million Indo-Canadian community, but also businesses and cities across Canada. “The money will be used to send oxygen concentrators and generators and we will find new pathways to send oxygen to India. We want to ensure that oxygen reaches tier 2 and 3 cities and towns before they get severely hit by the virus,” Thomas said.
Top business owners and medical professionals took part in the marathon fundraiser. Among the political decisionmakers who participated in the program included Hon. Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement; Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; Hon. Kelvin Goertzen, Deputy Premier of Manitoba; David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Metis Federation; Mayors Bonnie Crombie (Mississauga); Patrick Brown (Brampton); and Frank Scarpitti (Markham). They individually appealed to their constituents to contribute to the Oxygen for India campaign.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that 2,000 additional ventilators are being sent to India, in addition to 3,000 already delivered. “The whole plane-load of Air Canada is filled from front to back and arriving (in India) by Tuesday with all sorts of supplies. The people of India have been there for us and we will be there for them,” the Ontario Premier said, referring to India’s delivery of one million vaccine doses to Canada earlier this year.
The biggest contribution of $50,000 came from Canada’s native or indigenous Metis people. “We have similarities with Indians even though we are from different parts of the world. India will be there for us when we need, and we should be there for them now. We will donate $50,000 to the ICCC and do more if needed,” announced David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Metis Federation.
