The art of fundraising

Laurier alumnus Tim Fox is helping launch the fourth annual “A Brush of Hope” fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

The fundraiser calls for celebrities around the country to create paintings to be showcased and then sold on ebay with proceeds supporting the Kidney Foundation.

“In that first year we had a lot of support from Wilfrid Laurier [University],” said Fox, now executive director of the foundation’s New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island branches.

Participating artists in the project’s first year included Laurier’s own head coach of the Laurier football team Gary Jeffries.

Laurier also showcased the art in the concourse prior to the online bid.

In previous years, the event has raised between $12,000 and $13,000.

“It’s a fundraiser, but also an awareness raiser to help people get an understanding of the significance of kidney disease in Canada,” emphasized Fox.

This year the fundraiser has moved to a new base in New Brunswick with Fox accepting a new position in the organization.

Bids for this year’s paintings, which include the works of Hey Rosetta!’s Tim Baker, Steve Smith (better known as television personality Red Green), and Toronto FC’s Dwayne DeRosario, have been open on ebay since Nov. 5 and will close Nov. 15.

To view and bid on the paintings, check out ebay.ca