Theft hits fundraiser for round dance

A grandmother’s efforts to raise funds for a round dance for her granddaughter were hit by a theft.

Jessica Charles, a single mother of five, was excited to learn about the newest member of her family, Latisha. At the time, the baby’s chances of survival weren’t looking good.

“I was told this … by one of our elders that my first grandchild would be sick. So I [asked for] advice from another elder and she told me to host a … round dance for her,” said Charles. “You know how babies are happy and their giggly and bouncy, she wasn’t like that her first year, she just like would look at a person with a blank stare on her face.”

A round dance is part of the Cree people’s traditional culture. Charles said it’s all about showing how grateful you are.

“It’s a celebration we have them for different reasons … which in my case is her birthday and were just showing appreciation to God,” she said.

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And on Jan. 21, Charles hosted her first fundraiser for the round dance. Charles advertised the Steak Night at One Stop to her friends and family, but before the event even started, $200 of the money was stolen.

In the midst of setting up for the fundraiser, Charles went to the washroom with a case full of raffle prize money. She said five minutes after leaving the washroom she realized she didn’t have her case anymore.

Charles frantically searched the area where they were setting up and her car, with no luck. When she went back to the washroom, there were two women in there, one of which was using the same stall she had originally used.

“I asked if they saw a security case,” she said. “The one by the sink said ‘I have no idea,’ [and] the other woman came out of the stall and rushed right by me. I checked the stall but it was gone,” said Charles. “Obviously, everybody knew we were having a fundraiser there and I was shocked that somebody would take a case.

Charles spoke to the women’s waitress and the owner of One Stop about what had happened and from there they checked the security cameras and called the police.

“We showed them the video of the two girls, they took a picture, they weren’t recognizable [to] any of us that were here … so that’s kind of the way it’s got left,” said the owner/manager of One Stop Pub and Restaurant, Mick Kuchirka.

Kuchirka said he was working the night of the steak night fundraiser and it seemed as though it was a normal night.

“[We host fundraisers] on a continual basis, we usually do about … an average of four a month,” he said. “Usually we choose steak nights that are kind of slower so that there’s room for them [fundraisers]. These people were at the back, there were three guys and two girls that came in,” he said.

Staff at One Stop said the women hadn’t been to the restaurant before as far as they know but they don’t feel the theft was planned.

“Nobody else went in after Jessica and the two girls went in there and then they left right away after when they came out of the bathroom,” which Kuchirka said was a bit strange, “but we we’re kind of busy with the steak night so it wasn’t really questionable.”

The police now have Charles’ statement, a copy of the video footage and a description of the vehicle the suspects drove away in, but so far there is no word on the progress of the case.

The missing case held three receipts from advanced ticket sales on raffle prizes. In total, Charles would have raised $556, had she not been robbed. The funds were to go towards the expenses of the round dance, such as the rental of the hall and the giveaways for those who attend.

Charles describes the suspects as being in their late 20s and she had a few choice words for them: “find a job.”

Charles said she will keep fundraising for her until she is four.

The Round Dance will be held on Feb. 21 on Sturgeon Lake First Nation.

kbruch@panow.com

On Twitter: @KaylaBruch1