Daily Herald Contributor
The Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) and the local Forest Industry Members in Prince Albert joined other members nationwide to celebrate the National Forest Week by organizing a fundraiser tagged ‘Log a Load for Kids on Friday.
The goal was to raise funds for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. The fundraiser included selling a burger and a pop for $10. Gift items like customized pens, and lip gloss were also added to those who purchased the burger.
“Some of the people here as well as the industry and Government get together to raise funds and all of the proceeds go to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital,” said Darryl Sande, the President of the Saskatchewan Forestry Professionals Association and a member of CIF. “We have raised upwards of ten grand each year.
“The companies themselves all get together and donate money and then we challenge other contractors and local members to contribute as well. The title of the event is ‘log a load for kids,’ so we are trying to send a load of money or a load of trees to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.”
Last year the hospital attended to more than 83,000 infants and children. The campaign supported those efforts for many years.
“The Forest Industry sees this as a way to give back to the community,” Sande said.
Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Community Engagement Representative Cori Thorstad said they were grateful for the support from Log a Load and all the businesses who helped make it happen.
“All the donations received in Saskatchewan go the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon,” she said. “The funds are used for supporting programming, equipment enhancement and in helping kids in our own province to receive care close to the home so that they are receiving the care they need without travelling out of the province.”
Last year, the hospital received more than $12,000 from the event, but Thorstad said this year’s total looks like it will be bigger.
“We still have lots of donations coming in so we don’t have the total yet,” she said. “There are still lots of events happening across the province. The campaign runs till end of the month.”
