Canadians from coast to coast are letting their voice be heard as the votes roll in for the Joey's Seafood Restaurants Community Revival Project.
The popular seafood restaurant chain invited people to nominate any individual, group, facility or charity in Canada, with the goal of rewarding the cause that garners the most community support. Over 60 finalists have been posted at www.joeys.ca, where one will receive a $25,000 cash prize from Joey's as chosen by visitors online.
"We wanted to celebrate our 25th anniversary by giving something back to Canadian communities and saying 'thank you' for contributing to our success," said Joey's founder Joe Klassen. "We've donated nearly $1 million to charity over the past 10 years, but this is the first time we've invited the public to tell us where to designate our funds."
The list of finalists is both geographically and ideologically diverse, including education and social programs, animal shelters, infrastructure restoration, and arts initiatives in communities across Canada, including projects in Ogema, Kronau, Assiniboia, Moose Jaw, Mortlach and Regina.
"We've received over 6,000 votes in just the first four days of the contest," said Klassen. "People are already rallying behind their chosen community causes, and there's still more than three weeks to go."
He added, "In a way, I'm glad this'll be decided online so I don't have to choose between all of these great causes."
Visitors can find out about the programs in their areas and vote online until November 30.
