Students in the Business Management program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic turned a regular class assignment into a community fundraiser on Wednesday, hosting a bake sale in support of the Boreal Healthcare Foundation inside the campus cafeteria.
Christened “Bake for a Cause,” the event was part of a project management course assignment that required students to plan and execute a full project with a fundraising target. Project Manager Vikas Singh said the idea formed early in the semester and took months to bring to life.
“Currently we are in (the) second semester of project management for the business management. In second semester there is a there is a course called Project Management, and that code is an assignment which says we have to raise at least $1,000 for any foundation, and we choose to donate to the Boreal Healthcare Foundation,” Singh said. “There was a very big planning (session) behind this. We were planning for this from the month of September, and it took around three months.”
Singh said dividing tasks, securing permissions and sponsors, and planning the booth setup were some of the hardest parts .
Two groups combined to work on the project. Singh said they anticipated raising around $1,500 from from the sale, and finished slightly above their target with $1,600.
They also made significant progress toward the combined class group of $2,000.
Singh said staff participation was stronger than expected.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Student Project Manager Vikas Singh speaks with the Boreal representative while managing sales at the Bake for a Cause table organized by Saskatchewan Polytechnic students.
“Around 90 percent of staff came to use and bought something, and they donated, like a double amount, which they bought from us,” he said.
Instructor Nicole Galbraith said the fundraiser is designed to give students experience working through the five process groups of project management while contributing to the community.
“The fundraiser is part of our curriculum on developing a project through the five process groups, and the main group is the execution that we can actually develop or sell or come up with an experience for consumers,” Galbraith said. “Why not give back to our community? We can still do this, and instead of the students retaining the revenue, they donate all proceeds to a charity in Prince Albert.”
She said the students showed professionalism throughout planning and worked with the foundation as a true external stakeholder.
“They use professionalism and responsibility when speaking to external stakeholders,” she said. “These are all international students, so they’re not even familiar with our city because they’re relatively new to Canada.
Galbraith said she was proud to see the students bring the project to life.
“I felt very proud that they had a lot of baking to sell. They were very excited. You could see their enthusiasm and their enjoyment.”
Andy Cohen, the Boreal Healthcare Foundation’s donor engagement and communications representative, attended the event and said the support contributes to long-term improvements in healthcare for Prince Albert and northern communities.
“The Boreal Healthcare Foundation, of course, has been investing in local healthcare in Prince Albert for the last 40 years,” Cohen said. “Every little bit helps. It might not raise thousands of dollars, but every little bit helps, looking to equip the hospital that our provincial government has helped us build so far.”
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Students prepare and arrange baked items as lunchtime crowds gather during the “Bake for a Cause” fundraiser supporting the Boreal Healthcare Foundation.
He said student involvement also helps raise awareness for the foundation’s ongoing campaigns.
“This bake sale helps us talk about the equip, the Vic campaign,” Cohen said. “It helps us use their energy and passion to talk about those initiatives, so that gets us on the map.”
Cohen said fundraisers like this make a difference as the region prepares for expanded services, including the first MRI north of Saskatoon.
“Over 150,000 people depend on this hospital,” he said. “Fundraisers just like this are getting us that much closer to the equipment and specialized needs that we need.”
As the sale wrapped up, Singh said the experience was meaningful for everyone involved.
“This is our first time in Canada, and that was only new experience, because we haven’t done anything like this in back in India,” he said. “That was a very amazing experience, and we learned so many things from organizing this event.”
