Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Guests enjoy breakfast and conversation at the Heritage Centre during the annual Two Miles for Mary fundraiser.
Prince Albert residents gathered early Friday morning at the Heritage Centre for the 38th annual Two Miles for Mary pancake breakfast and radiothon, raising $9,419 to support the city’s seniors transportation program.
About 150 people attended the event, which featured pancakes, sausages, peach whip, coffee, and juice. Many stayed to socialize long after breakfast was served, something fundraising coordinator Kayla Pollock said was just as important as the dollars raised.
“Yes, we want to raise money, but we’re also wanting to build community and connection,” Pollock said. “It was really nice to see so many people bright and early in the morning. A lot of people stuck around and visited for a couple of hours.”
Including nearly $8,000 raised in the weeks leading up to the breakfast, the campaign is roughly halfway to its $45,000 goal. Donations will continue to be accepted throughout the year by mail, e-transfer, and through the Community Service Centre’s website.
Pollock said the event was a chance for her to meet many of the seniors who rely on the service. She previously worked dispatch for the transportation program and spoke with passengers over the phone but rarely met them in person.
“Some of these passengers tell me they don’t know what they would do without this service,” she said. “Drivers and staff get to know them. They become like friends. It feels like a little family.”
She added that no major setbacks were reported during the event thanks to strong volunteer support. Staff, board members, friends, and family members pitched in, and even some guests offered to help.
Lake Co-op sponsored the breakfast, and 900 CKBI partnered with the Community Service Centre to run the radiothon.
Pollock said the new Community Service Centre website and improved advertising efforts helped bring more awareness to the event. She hopes to build on that success next year with new ideas and possibly a walkathon-style fundraiser where participants can collect pledges to walk “Two miles of Mary.”
Internal fundraising events are also in the works, including a staff cook-off with proceeds going to the transportation program.
“It’s very important to me, and I think a lot of the people that work here feel the same way.” Pollock said. “Knowing that our service is helping people get to where they need to be, and that’s why we do this.”
