Gord Broda conducts a panel discussion with Make-A-Wish® Canada CEO Meaghan Stovel-McKnight, Anastasia Stavrou and her daughter Elianna. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Feel good story

Prince Albert Make-A-Wish event raises over $115K

Sep 19, 2025 | 1:47 PM

Prince Albert has once again opened its wallet for a great cause.

On Thursday night, presented by the Broda Group, there was a Make-A-Wish fundraising event at the Prince Albert Wildlife Banquet and Events Centre. While the final amount is still being calculated, it’s expected to be over $115,000.

The night included both live and silent auctions, and open bidding from the crowd. Anastasia Stavrou and her nine-year-old daughter Elianna were this year’s Wish family. Anastasia told paNOW it was amazing to be a part of the evening.

“We took a wish trip that was down in the States. We went to Florida, we went to Disney World. The amount of money that they spent on us, I can’t even imagine how much, and it’s events like this that make it all happen,” she said 


There were not many dry eyes after Anastasia and Elianna told their story. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

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At the age of five, Elianna was diagnosed with leukemia and endured a number of treatments which she talked about openly with the crowd. She has now been in remission for two years and her mother noted the change she has seen in her daughter.

“She is so brave now compared to her very first appointment, and now she’ll watch her pokes instead of crying and fighting over them. So, it’s a huge difference from where she came a long time ago,” she said.

Every year in Canada, roughly 4,000 kids are diagnosed with a critical illness.

Dr. Heather Hodgson-Viden is a pediatric palliative care physician at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and treats children who have been diagnosed with critical and complex illnesses. During a panel discussion, she explained her role is to ensure the children have a good quality of life, and how she often meets with the families.Through those discussions she became involved with Make-A-Wish.

“I made it a part of my treatment plan. So at the end of my visit, I made sure to spend some time with families and these kids and ask them had they heard about Make-A-Wish, had they had a wish, had they started the referral process. For some of the kids, they would come back and they would tell me their great stories, what they bought, who they saw, where they went, and that joy it had brought to them and to their families.”

Dr. Heather Hodgson-Viden and Make-A-Wish® Canada CEO Meaghan Stovel-McKnight. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

There were roughly 140 people gathered for the event. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Feeling a need to do more, Hodgson-Viden became more involved with the organization 10 years ago on the chapter advisory board. Since then, she’s moved on to the medical advisory board and is now on the national board.

“It is a very fulfilling, amazing organization, and I’m really very, very passionate about it. You’ve heard the statistics, we’ve done research in the States and internationally to show wishes have a positive outcome. 
I see the impact every day with every child, with their families.”

In Saskatchewan, there’s currently 165 children waiting for a wish to be granted. There were 102 wishes granted last year, and that included nine in Prince Albert.

Meaghan Stovel McKnight, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish® Canada, said ‘Paving the Way for Wishes’, presented by Broda Group, was a powerful celebration of community generosity and the life-changing impact of a wish.

“Thanks to the leadership of Gord Broda and Rusty Clunie Jr., we’re reminded that wishes are medicine—and this medicine is delivered close to home in Prince Albert,” she said.

In addition to some large bids from people in the audience, there was also a special $6,000 donation made by Doug Erickson and the staff of the PA Wildlife Federation Banquet and Event Center, Lake Country Co-Op, Prince Albert Raiders, Corporate Members Great Western Brewery, Phantom Light Distilleries, Spectrum Sound, and Randy Whitter from My Place Catering.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell