The Fraser Valley Irish Dance Association (FVIDA) is a non-profit association that supports Irish dancers in the Fraser Valley. The FVIDA raises funds to help dancers of all ages participate in various Irish Dancing events.
As a direct result of fundraising events, we are able to pay for the gorgeous $900 traditional dresses the dancers wear, as well as blouses and skirts for beginner dancers, and shirts, vests and ties for our male dancers.
We are also able to organize events like our Ceilis, parades, fun days, and assist in the cost for travel to Irish dance events, or taking part in workshops or educational seminars that enhance our dancers' knowledge of Irish culture, dance, health and fitness.
We are proud to be an association whose funds go directly back our members and community. We are also very pleased to have a growing relationship with key community partners. We are completely funded by donations from our community. Without the support of local businesses, our goals would not be possible.
We raise funds in two different ways:
Association Fundraisers
To pay for our dancers' Traditional costumes and the events we organize thoughout the year, we raise money through donations made for paid performances.
The FVIDA dancers perform for various groups throughout the year, showcasing the beauty and intricacy of Irish dance.
St. Patrick's Day is the most popular time for our dancers to perform. During the day, groups of dancers travel throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley and perform at pubs, senior's centres, care homes, shopping malls, and private venues.
The Call to Dance, our big year end show, is staged at the Abbotsford Arts Centre at the beginning of June. Tickets go on sale in May.
Our dancers are available to dance at both public and private events. If you are interested in having them perform at an event, please use our online form.
Individual Fundraising
Dancers are able to raise money through individual fundraising activities, then access that money to pay for costs associated with Irish Dance. More information about our Individual Fundraising can be found here.
These costs may include:
Costume fees
Shoes
Travel to Irish Dance events
Individual fundraising campaigns are generally through direct sales. In the past, dancers have sold poinsettias, coupon books, gardening plants, etc.
If you have a fundraising idea that would benefits our dancers, please share it with us at info@fraservalleyirishdance.com.
Like most non-profit associations, our ability to provide our members with benefits depends on having volunteers to help run our fundraising activities.
Our volunteer requirements are determined by the amount of benefits a member family will receive.
New members with family members enrolled in an Irish dance school are required to provide two $25.00 cheques ($50.00 total) post-dated June 1, 2019, made out to FVIDA. These cheques will be returned/shredded after the last fundraising event of the year if the member family has participated in a minimum of 2 hours of volunteering during the dance year. One $25 cheque will be cashed for each volunteer hour not fulfilled. This is per family, not per dancer.
Returning members with family members enrolled in an Irish dance school (i.e., members who have been in the FVIDA for more than one year) are required to provide four $25.00 cheques ($100 total) post-dated June 1, 2019, made out to FVIDA. These cheques will be returned/shredded after the last fundraising event of the year if the member family has participated in a minimum of 4 hours of volunteering during the dance year. One $25 cheque will be cashed for each volunteer hour not fulfilled. This is per family, not per dancer.
Members who do not have a dancer enrolled in an Irish dance school are not required to fulfill volunteer hours, however, these members are not eligible for all FVIDA member benefits, i.e., access to the Traditional Costume Pool; funds for travel to competition or special events.
