Two nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Jewellery, gift cards, and lots and lots of food and drinks.
That’s what’s up for grabs in the sixth annual auction to raise money for — and build awareness about — the Amanda Todd Legacy Society, a Port Coquitlam non-profit that aims to educate people about cyberbullying and mental health.
The online auction, which coincides with the death of the 15-year-old student a decade ago, started on Saturday (Oct. 1) and in four days, as of Tuesday (Oct. 4), the 340 items available for bidding had brought in more than 80 per cent of the $18,000 goal.
Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother and a School District 43 employee, told the Tri-City News the digital auction is something "that so many support in memory of Amanda."
She said dozens of auction donations started to arrive in mid-August after Dutch national Aydin Coban was convicted of five charges in his persistent "sextortion" of Amanda Todd, who died by suicide on Oct. 10, 2012.
Since the conviction, Carol Todd said she’s also received messages from people around the world to thank her for sharing her late daughter’s story and for making a difference with internet safety.
On Monday (Oct. 3), Carol Todd spoke before the House of Commons' status of women committee about the trial; Coban’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11 to 14 at the New Westminster Law Courts.
She urged MPs to revise the 2014 cyberbullying legislation and the criminal code, providing better definitions around online exploitation and cyberbullying.
Carol Todd also urged police to take online harassment seriously and not to shame victims, most of whom are minors.
And she pressed for more resources to compile a teachers’ curriculum for students to steer clear of potential dangers on the web.
The sixth annual Amanda Todd Legacy Society auction ends Oct. 14.
For more information, you can visit the event's auction page.
- with files from The Canadian Press
