WELLINGTON COUNTY – When Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) was introduced to the community, one organization was invested from the beginning: the County of Wellington.
At the time, CSGW was known as “Crime Stoppers of Wellington County” and over the past 33 years the program has evolved, and the name has changed, but the support from the county has remained steadfast. This is why the CSGW board of directors named The County of Wellington as the 2020 Cornerstone Award recipient. The announcement was made at the Jan. 13, 2021 County of Wellington Police Services Board virtual meeting by CSGW Program Coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter.
Support of CSGW includes gifting the proceeds of the annual County of Wellington/Wellington County OPP Property Auction to Crime Stoppers, notes a press release from CSGW. Since 2007 this has raised more than $26,000, in addition to the barbecue held at the auction which earned more than $5,500 in the same time frame.
More recently, the county has housed the CSGW office and offered storage for program-related materials. This eliminates the overhead of rent and utilities, which allows all fundraising dollars to go directly toward paying tip rewards and operating the program.
Additionally, the continued support of the program coordinator position since the 1999 contract between the Wellington County Police Services Board and Wellington County OPP allowed CSGW to have a full-time, dedicated individual who remains in the role without the limitations of a contract. This has served the program extremely well.
Finally, the County of Wellington has invited CSGW to contribute to the County Page in the Wellington Advertiser, at no cost to the program. This gives the program a county-wide presence for awareness initiatives and fundraisers, again, at no cost.
“Recognizing the County of Wellington is long overdue,” said CSGW Chair Deryck West.
“We appreciate the support and encouragement they have afforded us throughout the years. Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington is in a fortunate position and we know we wouldn’t be where we are now without the investment, financial and otherwise, of the County of Wellington.”
“On behalf of Wellington County Council, I would like to thank Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington for selecting the County as the 2020 recipient of the Cornerstone Award,” said Warden Kelly Linton.
“Community safety is a top priority for the County. We will continue to support Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington through our annual police auction, providing office space and supporting local programming and initiatives in any way we can,” Linton added.
The Cornerstone Award was created to recognize the exceptional support and contributions of individuals, businesses and organizations such as the County of Wellington. The award launched in 2015 and has served to communicate the appreciation CSGW has for its various supporters in the City of Guelph and County of Wellington. It is presented each January during Crime Stoppers Month. This year’s theme for Crime Stoppers Month is Helping All Communities Stay Safe.
To learn more about CSGW, go to www.csgw.tips. To provide an anonymous crime tip go to www.csgw.tips or call 1-800-222-TIPS.
