The Keremeos Citizens on Patrol Society will continue to make an impact in the community after attempts to get back off the ground failed to find success.

The society has donated the $8,250 it had to the Lower Similkameen Community Fund, part of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen (CFSOS).

The society played an active role in the community for two decades, from 1996 to 2016, doing patrols at night looking for things like if someone had left their garage doors open, speed watches during the day, and a few years keeping a regular eye out for damaged mailboxes. 

The group also ran a stolen auto recovery program where they punched in license plates using a tablet and could find out right away if the vehicle was stolen.

As membership declined the society faced challenges maintaining its operations. The society was officially dissolved in 2016 but retained its funds in a local bank account.

Two attempts were made to restart the society and find new volunteers in 2019 and most recently in 2023, but neither effort panned out. 

To ensure the society's funds stayed within the community, record keeper and former village councillor Arlene Arlow and the remaining few members of the society decided to make put the funds to use with the donation to the Lower Similkameen Community Fund.

鈥淚n 2016, it became my mission to ensure these funds stayed to benefit Keremeos and the surrounding communities because that is where the money came from. I was concerned that the funds might end up irretrievable because of Canadian banking protocols.鈥� said Arlow. 鈥淭his donation to the Lower Similkameen Community Fund ensures the dollars raised will continue to support local projects and programs for years to come. I couldn鈥檛 think of a better way to honour the legacy of the Similkameen Citizens On Patrol Society.鈥� 

The society's speed radar has been given to the Village of Keremeos to look after, with the hopes of it finding use in the future either by the municipality or the school district. 

The Lower Similkameen Community Fund is an endowment fund that supports projects and activities in Keremeos, Cawston, Olalla and Hedley.

By pooling donations, investing them, and using the earnings annually, the fund ensures sustainable support for the region鈥檚 evolving needs. Recent grants have supported initiatives such as the Cawston Elementary School lunch program, the Hedley Heritage Museum Society, and the Lower Similkameen Community Services Society.

鈥淭his generous gift from the Keremeos Citizens On Patrol Society will continue to strengthen the communities of the Lower Similkameen,鈥� said Kim English, Regional Manager at CFSOS. 鈥淭he donation exemplifies what local giving is all about鈥攃reating lasting benefits for the people and places we care about. We鈥檙e so grateful for this contribution to the local fund.鈥�

Residents who wish to make their own mark in the Lower Similkameen can join this legacy of giving by contributing to the fund. Donations are pooled, invested, and stewarded by CFSOS to create an ongoing resource for projects that make the region thrive.