Second annual fundraiser brings 11 young goats, yoga and community activities to acreage east of Prince Albert
A rural property just east of Prince Albert will be filled with yoga mats, visitors and 11 baby goats on Saturday as a local fundraiser returns for a second year.
Valerie MacDougall and her partner, Chuck Hawkins, will host baby goat yoga at their acreage at 4 Arabelle Road on Aug. 8, with proceeds going to the Boreal Healthcare Foundation’s Equip the Vic campaign.
MacDougall said the idea began after Boreal Healthcare Foundation put out a call for unique ways to raise money for the campaign.
“I approached the Boreal Healthcare and said that why don’t we try and do some baby goat yoga,” she said.
The first event was held last year and raised about $6,100 in a single day. MacDougall and Hawkins donated the money in memory of their granddaughter, Arabelle Gola.
For MacDougall, supporting the Victoria Hospital expansion also means helping keep more health-care services close to home.
“It’s just such a great cause, and it brings healthcare closer to our community, so that people don’t have to travel,” she said. “And also, it means leaving a legacy in our granddaughter’s name.”
The road where the event is being held also carries her granddaughter’s name. MacDougall said the family applied to the RM of Prince Albert to have the road named after her.
She said her granddaughter had worked as a summer student for the RM and would walk her dog in the mornings while picking up garbage along the way.
The goats involved in Saturday’s event are not brought in specifically for the fundraiser. They are pets raised by MacDougall and Hawkins on their acreage.
This year’s group includes 11 baby goats, about two months old.
A moment from a previous baby goat yoga session held in support of the Boreal Healthcare Foundation’s Equip the Vic campaign.
“They’re just our pets,” MacDougall said. “We raise animals here on our acreage, and they’re our pets. We’re just glad to share them.”
No previous yoga experience is required. MacDougall said the event is open to both adults and children, and the emphasis is more on enjoying the experience than completing a perfect yoga session.
“It’s just all about coming out and having some fun and letting the goats climb on you,” she said. “You can hold them and just make you feel good, and you can take pictures and have some laughs.”
MacDougall described the young goats as friendly, energetic and accustomed to being around people. She said she and Hawkins spend considerable time with their animals and make sure they have food, water and proper care throughout the day.
During the yoga sessions, participants may find a goat climbing onto them as they move through a pose.
“They are very bouncy and rambunctious and they just love to be around people,” MacDougall said.
Saturday will include more than yoga. MacDougall said Red Swan Pizza and Summer Free Ride will be on site, along with a raffle supported by donations from the community. All proceeds from the raffle will also go to Boreal Healthcare.
The event runs from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4 Arabelle Road, approximately four kilometres east of Prince Albert. Registration for the goat yoga sessions is available through the Boreal Healthcare Foundation’s Facebook page.
MacDougall said people are also welcome to stop by even if they do not plan to take part in yoga.
“Just come out and see what it’s about,” she said. “You can still support the community that way.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
