Major Ed Dean with the Prince Albert Salvation Army stands in front of École Valois as students at the school presented the organization a cheque for $1,000 on March 20, 2026. (Image Credit: Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

By Logan Lehmann

Challenge accepted

Students at École Valois raise $1,000 for Salvation Army

Mar 21, 2026 | 1:04 PM

Community support for the Prince Albert Salvation Army continues to pour in, with a donation on Friday coming from a group of some of the city’s youngest residents. 

Students at École Valois were celebrated with a pizza party for raising $1,000 for the local Salvation Army following a fire that destroyed their building on Christmas Day last year. 

Major Ed Dean said they put out a challenge to all the schools in the city and École Valois, to his knowledge, was the only one to step up to the plate. 

“We’re teaching them at a young age that community is important, and to have them pick up this challenge to help the Salvation Army in such an event to put a meal on somebody’s table – it’s only five bucks we think, but to them, it’s a great joy that they’ve helped the community. And to us, it’s a great joy to receive a gift such as this from them, knowing that they’re learning at a young age about those gifts and what the impact it has on them.”  

A teacher at École Valois presents Major Ed Dean with a cheque for $1,000. (Image Credit: Major Ed Dean/submitted)

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Dean added that the donation was a contribution toward the Plates of Hope fundraiser, which supports the Salvation Army’s essential programs and services, and ensures continued care for individuals and families facing food insecurity, hardship, and uncertainty in our community.

The fundraising supper was held on March 14, where Friday’s $1,000 donation from École Valois will be added to the $220,881 that was previously raised. Donations are being accepted until March 31. 

“One of the things that this Plates of Hope event has done is its brought together a community, a wonderful team of volunteers. And one of those volunteers that was part of the initiative to get the schools involved and École Valois, they picked it up and it’s an exciting thing to be able to greet the students today.” 

March marks three months since the Salvation Army’s building in downtown Prince Albert burned to the ground in a blaze that police have since determined was deliberately set. Since then, Dean said they’ve seen helping hands from all over the city. 

“The whole community has come together in some way. There’s been the Foundations that have contributed, the families that have said, ‘You know what, we’d like to sponsor this’ or ‘we’d like to donate here’; The churches, the casino and the PAGC – there’s been different hands all over the place.” 

“This piece here, that’s special because children are helping others,” he continued, when prompted that the youth are now getting involved. “I like to see these events happen, I’ve done them in a few different places for different events. But anytime you can get a group of children excited about something, especially in our community of Prince Albert… why not here?” 

Despite the hardships presented to the Salvation Army following the fire, Dean said the organization is resilient and committed to the community.  

“The Salvation Army has been in this community a long time, 134 years. 1892, we came to this community, and guess what? We’re still here. Serving people, caring for people – this is the greatest form of care. When you see little ones take on a challenge to care for somebody else, we’ve taught them a great value in challenging them in this way.” 

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com