Daily Herald File Photo Players from the Prince Albert Northern Bears wrapped presents during the Brunch with Santa at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre on Nov. 22.
The second annual Brunch with Santa for the Rose Garden Hospice exceeded all expectations as a fundraiser.
After the final tally, organizers said the event raised more than $170,000 for the Rose Garden Hospice.
Ian Dickson, the Community Engagement and Philanthropy Coordinator for the Rose Garden Hospice, was ecstatic.
“We’re so pleased about that part of it,” he said. “Of course, that’s the goal of these events, but it’s also to hold a community event as well and get that engagement going. I feel like we were very successful with that.”
Dickson said that the feedback from the second event is still rolling in. It’s been positive so far.
“I’m still getting so much feedback from people who just enjoyed coming to a fundraiser that was a little bit different than what they’re used to,” he explained. “It’s not an evening thing. It’s a family friendly event. That was consistent feedback we’ve gotten on the last two Christmas events and our last two run events as well, so I think we were really hitting our stride with that focus.”
This event, along with the Run with Rose in May, helped the Rose Garden Hospice to continue the improving the facility.
Dickson thanked the Prince Albert and Area community who attended and supported the event. He said the community has been instrumental in the success of the Rose Garden Hospice.
He said it’s a cause many local residents are happy to support.
“It’s the kind of care that you can see yourself or anybody at some point in life having to go through and potentially needing that kind of service, so it’s not a hard sell,” Dickson said.
“We were just blown away at the level of support that people in this community continue to show us at the Rose Garden Hospice.”
With the success of the second year of the event, the organizers are already thinking about next year.
The event was tweaked by changing venues to the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre after the first one in 2024 was in Plaza 88.
“A change of a venue and to a bit of a larger space to facilitate more people, and we ended up selling out again,” he said. “That’s a really good sign. (There are) definitely some tweaks we’ll make for next year. There’s always so much to learn from each one of these events.”
There were more than 50 dedicated volunteers who helped plan and implement the day. Dickson thanked The Malcolm Jenkins Family Foundation matched donations made at the event up to $25,000.00. He also thanked the Broda Group and Barry and Donna Dutchak as Platinum sponsors. As well as all Diamond, Gold, and Silver sponsors.
“It makes a huge difference. We had Barry and Donna Dutchak and the Broda Group sign on for a three-year commitment to be our presenting sponsor for this event. This was our second year with them.
“Last year the Jenkins Family Foundation originally matched to $10,000 and at the event in 2024 Malcolm Jenkins announced it was up to $25,000 which was the case again this year. We hit that goal really quickly, and the same thing happened this year as well.”
During the event, Dickson asked individuals to stand up to donate $1,000 for 24 hours of comfort in the Hospice.
“That covers all the expenses to have one guest stay for one day at the hospice and cover some of our capital expenses, all the things that don’t always get considered with that. We had in the end, I think, $37,000 we raised from that. We had 26 people stand up, one gentleman upped his to $10,000 instead of $1,000. That was Gord Broda. It was just huge for us to have so much support,” Dickson said.
He also thanked board members Sharon Griffin and Barb Broda for spearheading the concept from the very beginning.
The event included many family friendly activities, a live auction, silent auction, brunch and was all wrapped together with a visit from Santa Claus on Nov. 22 at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre.
“We’re so grateful that people are coming out to support the hospice and events like this,” he said. “It makes it worthwhile. It’s a lot of work to put them on, of course, but the payoff of having such a fun day with so many people from the community makes it well worthwhile for us, for sure.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
-Advertisement-
Comments are closed.