Members of the Prince Albert Optimist Club present a cheque for $74,000 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

WISH COME TRUE

Make-a-Wish Foundation receives massive cheque from P.A. Optimists

Oct 26, 2022 | 4:00 PM

A charity that grants wishes to Prince Albert kids finally received a large donation from the Prince Albert Optimist Club.

Earlier this month, the Optimist Club held its annual fall gala to fundraise for the Saskatchewan Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The total raised from the event was $74,000, which Saskatchewan Chapter Director Allyson Toye said will help many kids.

“We currently have 18 kids in Prince Albert waiting for their wish to come true and five in the surrounding area so this will help seven wishes come true in the area,” Toye said.

“We have 253 kids in the province waiting for their wishes to come true. The pandemic caused huge chaos in our organization but we’re working together to make sure every eligible child has a wish granted and making sure their wish can come true.”

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Vince Parker the Treasurer of the Optimist Club of Prince Albert said they have helped out the Make-a-Wish Foundation for about six years now. He said it was a privilege to support them through their gala.

“To have something like this, to do this and help the citizens of Prince Albert who are a remarkable crowd, Prince Albert is known for its generosity and this year they really proved it to us,” he said.

The cheque presentation was held at The Pioneer Log House where the Optimist Club will meet for the foreseeable future.

That’s because the regular meeting place will once again be used as the Stepping Stones Winter Shelter for the homeless starting Nov. 1.

Although they can’t have their regular meeting places for the winter, Parker said they’re OK with that.

“We are a service club for Prince Albert. We know we help children, but we also have a civic responsibility to help everybody else in the city, they’re the people that donate to us,” he said.

Parker added Optimist members are actively involved in the community including volunteering their time at the Salvation Army once a month.

The Optimist Club will soon plan for next year’s major gala as well as deciding who the beneficiary of that fundraiser will be.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @PA_Craddock