Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
A Prince Albert business is turning a negative experience into a positive one with a winter clothing drive.
Fitness For 10, located on 142 South Industrial Dr, Prince Albert, was vandalized on Jan. 24 when someone tried to smash a window. The next day, management made a post about the incident on their Facebook page, turning it into something positive by asking for winter items to be donated for the homeless and the needy in the Prince Albert Community.
Owner Jorge Saavedra said his assumption was that the person didn’t break the window with intent to be malicious, it was more from frustration because that night the temperature was about – 30 degrees.
“Someone had come up to our building and tried to open the door to the building but it was locked because it was after hours and then they ended up just breaking the window,” Saavedra said. “It looked like the person was frustrated, but at the same time he was more frustrated because it was so cold.
“My assumption was that he was trying to get in to warm up because as he walked away he was rubbing his hands and his ears trying to stay warm or looking for a shelter somewhere from the cold weather.”
The business made a post about the incident on Jan 25. In it, they said the damage was unfortunate, but was also a good reminder of how dangerous it is for homeless residents in freezing conditions. Temperatures the night the window was broken dropped to nearly -39 C before midnight, and bottomed out at -41 C by 6 a.m. the next morning, according to Environment Canada.
“I just kind of thought about it, that I can post a video of the person breaking my window and make it a negative or we can just turn it into a positive,” Saavedra said. “(I thought) lets run a drive so that we could gather some items for those people that are struggling in this harsh weather and that was what I did.”
The Prince Albert community are encouraged to drop off whatever winter items they have that is available to Fitness For 10 at their office on 142 S Industrial Dr. Items like mitts, toques, socks, head gears gloves, quilt winter jackets and ski pants are some of the items that are needed for.
“I hope that providing them with said items can be a deterrent to things like this happening in the future to other businesses,” Saavedra said.
The Management of Fitness for Ten was to will round up this project on Feb.15 before handing over to the PAGC and YWCA.
Jorge also wants to embark on this drive next year but “before the winter hits.”
Fitness For 10 Prince Albert focuses on fitness and mental health in the community. Saavedra said they want to be “more than just a business” by being involved in the community.
editorial@paherald.sk.ca
