For the second straight year, Council on Aging of West Florida will partner with Home Instead Senior Care to accept monetary donations as part of the annual Senior Chill Out drive, which provides air conditioners and fans to elder adults. Every year, the agency relies heavily on the generous support of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to continue to provide programs and services that empower seniors to remain independent and to age with dignity. The online fundraiser, called GIVE65, takes place July 10 to 12 at give65.org/chillout.
During the summer, temperatures inside a home without reliable air conditioning can reach dangerous numbers. While many seniors simply cannot afford the higher electric bill from running a central unit for hours every day, some no longer have a functioning HVAC system. According to the CDC, complications from heat exhaustion kill more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, floods and earthquakes combined. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to being adversely affected by excessive heat due to slower adjustment of the body to changes in temperature, increased risks associated with other medical conditions and prescription medicines that can impair the body's ability to regulate temperature or inhibit perspiration.
During the GIVE65 Event, Council on Aging is also raising funds for air conditioners and fans with the hopes of receiving up to $5,000 in matching funds from the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. We are also competing for a $10,000 financial reward. This year, there are six financial rewards to be awarded to the small, medium and large size non-profits that raise the most money or have the most donors participate. Donations of $10 or greater are accepted online at give65.org/chillout.
"GIVE65 allows us to help seniors in our community while raising awareness of the critical need for the programs and services that so many rely on," said John Clark, president and CEO of Council on Aging.
The 65-hour GIVE65 Event begins at 7 am CDT on Tuesday, July 10 and concludes at midnight on July 12. This event is an initiative of the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation and the nation's first and only crowd-fundraising platform focused on helping non-profit organizations across the country raise funds for programs and services benefiting seniors.
"Last year we were to be able to present a check to the Council on Aging of West Florida that was just over the $10,000, a goal we had met," said Stacy Robello, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Pensacola. "With the help of our locals, we are expecting to do the same. We are so thankful that Pensacola is a very giving community and we are looking forward to helping more seniors beat the heat with the monies that are raised in our GIVE65 event."
To learn more about GIVE65, visit give65.org/chillout. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible in the United States.
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