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2mo ago

B.C. MLA Urges Return of Unused Kapwa Strong Funds to Lapu Lapu Victims

The push to reclaim unspent charity grants puts new pressure on how disaster donations are managed.

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A woman lays flowers at a memorial during a vigil on a provincial day of mourning for the victims of the vehicle-ramming attack at the Filipino community's Lapu Lapu Day festival last week, in Vancouver, on Friday, May 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Overview

  • Mable Elmore asked United Way BC to seek back any unspent Kapwa Strong grants so the money can go straight to survivors and families.
  • Victims told reporters they are still not getting the help they expected from the fund set up after the attack.
  • United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund raised more than $2 million and was distributed through 45 grants decided by an eight-member committee.
  • Roughly $1.5 million went to nearly 40 organizations and about $500,000 went to the festival organizer, according to Elmore’s letter and reporting.
  • The attack at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26, 2025 killed 11 and injured dozens, and the accused, Adam Kai-Ji Lo, remains charged but has not gone to trial.