A charity steer auction on Monday raised $26,000 to support a retreat focusing on first responder mental health.
The West PA 4H Beef Club raised this year’s charity steer and chose the River Valley Resilience Retreat (RVRR) to receive the auction’s proceeds.
Pre-ticket sales were available for $25 to enter the draw, with donations of higher amounts getting greater chances to win. However, members collected donations of any amount.
“We were absolutely, beyond words, humbled,” said Michelle McKeaveney, one of the founders of the RVRR.
“We were warned that it was going to go very fast and intense,” she added. “It literally flew by, it was overwhelming.”
The retreat is located near Prince Albert. It provides peer support for public safety personnel, veterans and armed forces with operational stress injuries.
According to its other founder, Jeff Reeder, the non-profit continues to work on building its infrastructure.
“We’re using those funds to get our cabins built, so we’re kind of going through getting the construction phase done, pilings and permits and all of that. We’re just getting ready on our accommodations to expand so we can have people stay 365 days a year,” said Reeder.
Future construction phases include building a greenhouse, gardening area and riding arena for various mental health programs.
Katie Wilson is the general leader of the West PA 4H Beef Club.
She said the youth, who are between the ages of six and 21, bring forward potential charities and then vote. Wilson said the topic of mental health for first responders hit home for many of them, with family members in corrections and volunteer firefighting, for example.
Working with the RVRR was also eye-opening for Wilson herself.
“There’s lots of professions that I didn’t realize would have as much mental stress, and they’re there for anybody,” she said.
“I didn’t really think of tow truck drivers, but then you realize there is a lot of tow truck drivers that are put in dangerous situations.”
Donations came in from individuals, business and families from Prince Albert and beyond, including Paddockwood, Kinistino, Canwood and Duck Lake. Other businesses also donated the steer and its feed, as well as processing the meat.
“It’s all encompassing of a huge demographic, so the support is really awesome,” said Wilson.
Crossroad Farms from Shell Lake won the steer in an auction that raised $21,000. They then donated the steer back to be auctioned off for an extra $5,000.
McKeaveney and Reeder said it was uplifting to see that youth chose a mental health organization. It gives them hope that the generation will continue to grow up not being afraid to talk about their struggles.
“That was my experience walking around the barn for the last two days and hanging around with these kids, was that it was easier to have a conversation with them about mental health than, perhaps, some of the other adults,” said McKeaveney.
Reeder said the youth conversations surrounding mental health struck him particularly as a parent.
“We try to shield and shelter our kids from some of the burdens and the trauma that we’re carrying,” he said.
“It’s just having those open lines of communication with your kids and amongst the family because kids have their own stresses, too.”
As the RVRR expands, it’s seeking volunteers to help in all aspects of running a non-profit. Anyone interested is asked to sign up through its website or call 1 (833) 378-7775.
