Saskatchewan Royal Purple shows off the results of their hard work fundraising: a cheque for $185,000 to the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

BrainLove Month

BrainLove Month Opens with thousands in donations to Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association

Mar 1, 2023 | 3:00 PM

Advocates for brain health and safety celebrated a milestone in Prince Albert late in the morning of Wednesday. Saskatchewan Royal Purple presented cheques to the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association at the Prince Albert Inn.

The cheques presented on behalf of communities, from Kindersley to Shellbrook, raised $35,000 for the year. That brings the total up to $185,000 over seven years, with pledges for thousands more. The event also served as the kickoff to BrainLove Month across Canada, which involves every province now for the first time.

“We’re not the professionals, we’re people who are interested in making our youth in particular very aware of the value of the brain and to try to prevent brain injuries,” said Sandi Lougheed, national president of Canadian Royal Purple. “In Canada, every three minutes there’s someone having a brain injury. We’d like that statistic to chance to once every four minutes, every five, and then way down.”

Lougheed has been involved with Canadian Royal Purple for over 50 years, and helped lead the push for more brain injury awareness in Saskatchewan. During the last eight years, she’s seen the movement spread across the country.

“When we put out our posters or when we go to sell tickets or when we go to put on an event, the support we got five years ago, that support has more than doubled,” said Lougheed. “With that awareness comes support for the programs.”

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Lougheed gave plenty of credit to volunteers running smaller organizations in communities across Saskatchewan, including in both Prince Albert and Shellbrook. Elaine Perkins of Shellbrook became a champion for awareness and prevention after her grandson suffered a brain injury that left him in a nursing home for 12 years until his passing in August of 2020.

“He was in hospital for about nine months, and then they moved him to a nursing home,” Perkins said. “It was a pretty hard one, not only to begin with, but we lost him twice.”

While the family dealt with the tragedy, Perkins realized just how lacking in support people suffering from brain injuries could be. It was a stark contrast to other ailments.

“There was no advertising or awareness for brain injuries,” said Perkins. “There was heart, there was stroke, there was cancer, and there was Alzheimer’s, but nothing on brain injury. I couldn’t believe it. I thought we need something, never ever thinking it would go nationally.”

The goal for the group this year is to cross the threshold of $200,000 raised. While this would represent a major accomplishment for a relatively small group, they’re confident they can get there.

“We’ve got such exciting things coming,” Perkins said. “It’ll be over $200,000 next year.”

The Canadian Royal Purple Association adopted BrainLove as its national cause in 2022.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP