Yukon Cares fundraising for Syrian refugee family of 10

A Yukon group has chosen a Syrian refugee family to sponsor and ismaking arrangements to welcome it to the territory in the coming months.

Yukon Cares is barely two months old and already the group has raised $17,500. Itstarted the processof sponsoringa family of 10. Raquel de Queiroz, Yukon Cares organizer, says little is known about the family other than it includes two parents and eight kids aged three to 21.

The family iscurrently at a camp in Lebanon, where itwill meet with the visa officer and be offered the opportunity to come to the Yukon. De Queirozdoubts the familywill say no.

"I imagine they are fleeing for their lives."

De Queiroz says Yukon Cares was originally fundraising for a family of four. Upping that number to 10 means the group still needs to raise$32,000. Together with moneymatched from government, $80,000 is neededto provide everything a family of 10 needs for a year, includingfood, rent and bus passes.

"We want to set them up for success," says de Queiroz.

"We don't want them to think that they're going to live in luxury here, but we want to really support them in that first year so they can focus on learning English ... versus focusing on survival and getting food and where the next paycheque is going to come from."

Michael Dougherty, another Yukon Cares organizer, says one of the reasons thecommittee decided to bring a family of 10 to the Yukonwas because they thought it might be difficult for such a big family to find a private sponsor.He says Yukon Cares has secured a four-bedroom house for the family's arrival, although thatdate has yet to be determined.

Eat spaghetti, raise money

Yukon Cares is hosting its firstfundraising event tonight at Porter Creek Secondary. There will be a dinner, silent auction and live music.

"The spaghetti will be so delicious, it's a professional chef who's cooking it," says de Queiroz.

The eventstarts at 5:30 p.m.