At a Sept. 29 gathering at The Lido Theatre, more than 100 women turned a shared night out into a $13,205 gift for the Fort St. John and District Palliative Care Society. The event, organized by 100 Women Who Care Fort St. John, asked participants to hear brief presentations from local nonprofits and vote on which one should receive the pooled donation. Two local news organizations reported the palliative care society was selected.
The city’s event listing describes a simple format: attendees purchase a $100 ticket, three nonprofit groups share their work, and every ticket holder casts one vote. The organization receiving the most votes is designated to receive the full donation. For the Sept. 29 event, the three presenters were the Fort St. John and District Palliative Care Society, Nenan Dane Zaa Deh Zona Family Services Society, and Stage North Theatre Society. The city’s advance listing set a goal of raising at least $10,000 for one local nonprofit; the reported total later exceeded that threshold by $3,205.
EnergeticCity reported that the society received $13,205 after the event. Steering committee member Estefania Albornoz told the outlet that more than 100 women attended and that local sponsors helped make the evening possible. She said the committee was pleased to welcome new faces and hoped participants would return for future gatherings.
The total included $12,205 in community donations and a separate $1,000 contribution from Fort Motors, according to EnergeticCity. The outlet also reported that organizers had a matching donor but did not identify that donor.
The September gathering was the first event run by a new steering committee. Albornoz told EnergeticCity that the group that originally created the Fort St. John chapter handed the event to the new committee after its earlier 2026 gathering. The initiative holds events twice a year, giving local groups a recurring way to bring community members together around one shared decision. Albornoz encouraged volunteers interested in helping with event logistics, describing it as a one-night commitment twice a year.
The recipient society’s work is broader than any single project. On its website, the Fort St. John and District Palliative Care Society says its mission is to support people facing life-threatening illness and bereavement, together with their families and friends. It describes care in terms of physical, social, emotional and spiritual support, and says it trains volunteer companions to serve people who need help. Its stated philosophy treats the client and family as the unit of care, with “family” defined by the client’s significant relationships.
The society also says it relies primarily on community support, with donations and grants helping pay for volunteer education and training, resource materials and operating costs. That background helps explain why local giving matters to the organization, while leaving the details of this particular gift to the facts reported about the event.
CJDC-TV reported that the society said the new donation will support its ongoing Hospice Home Project, which the report describes as an effort to bring hospice care closer to residents in the region. The public accounts reviewed for this story do not specify a construction schedule, a particular facility, or what portion of the $13,205 may cover. The donation is a contribution to ongoing work, not evidence that a new hospice site is complete.
The two other organizations invited to present represented different parts of community life: family services through Nenan Dane Zaa Deh Zona Family Services Society and local theatre through Stage North Theatre Society. The city’s listing published ahead of the gathering names all three nominees, while the subsequent reports identify the palliative care society as the vote’s recipient.
The giving circle’s approach puts the choice in the hands of the people in the room. A short set of presentations, a shared contribution and one vote from each attendee turned one September evening into support for a local care organization. The amount is specific and the recipient is known; the longer-term effect will depend on how the society carries its Hospice Home Project and other community work forward.
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