CNIB’s upcoming Cookout with Cuddy event on August 17 is sold out for the second year in a row, but locals can still support the cause by bidding on a range of auction items, including a guitar signed by Taylor Swift, autographed jerseys and more.
Last year’s Cookout with Cuddy raised over $300,000 for CNIB Lake Joe, a camp in MacTier that serves people with vision loss. Each week of camp costs about $2,500 per participant, but the camp typically only charges families $150 for a week of food, activities and lodging thanks to events like the cookout. Steven Smyth, senior manager of philanthropy and campaign lead for CNIB Lake Joe, said it was an easy decision to bring the Jim Cuddy Trio back after last year’s success. The CNIB team is aiming to raise over $400,000 this year.
“We sold out last year in a week, and this year is another sold-out event with double the attendance,” Smyth said. “People were reaching out to us for Jim Cuddy literally the week after last year’s event, so we’re really excited to have him back.”
Jim Cuddy and his team also donated to the cause following their performance in 2023. Smyth said it was incredible to see that kind of support, so just like the fans, the CNIB team is thrilled to see them perform again this year.
Everything about the event is bigger and better the second time around. Their team will offer attractions like a 360 photo booth and a hot air balloon ride in addition to the concert. The silent auction also has dozens of options from artwork and activities to jewelry and vacations.
The items inlcude two concert tickets to Taylor Swift’s show in Vancouver with airfare included, an Alaskan cruise for two and a jersey signed by Pele. There are also concert tickets to Usher and Dallas Smith as well as tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Raptors and more.
The silent auction is one of the biggest fundraisers for the camp, so each bid helps ensure blind people in Ontario can experience camp without barriers. To that end, the auction also has the option to send a kind to camp without bidding on an item.
“A lot of the kids have let us know that this is the first time that they’ve ever met someone who has vision loss because these kids come from all over Canada,” he said. “A lot of the times folks that are from a smaller town or whatever might not have that representation in their town, so they get to build a community and then keep coming back every year with the friends they’ve built.”
The most common feedback they get from families at CNIB Lake Joe is that the accessible spaces allow their kids to be kids. For many parents of blind children, to have a place where they don’t have to worry about their kids going swimming or tubing or doing countless other activities is a huge relief, Smyth said.
During the height of COVID, the staff at CNIB Lake Joe created an online camp for all seasons of the year. Though kids have already been back at camp for the summer, they kept the online community going so that people can keep in touch.
Previous fundraising events have paid for equipment like a rock climbing wall or a boat, but whether the funds go toward the facilities or camper costs, it all helps kids and families experience the joys of camp. Every dollar raised through the auction and the Cookout with Cuddy event helps foster friendships and fund important work.
“Camp is a giant family here,” Smyth said, “and this event is really what helps us get going.”
To see the auction items and make a bid, click here. Visit the CNIB website to learn more about the camp program.