Fundraisers continue to support hospice society

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

Despite having to cancel its biggest fundraiser of the year, the Wheatland and Area Hospice Society (WAHS), in partnership with the Cheadle Lions Club, has come up with a unique way to still raise funds.
The WAHS’s Steering Towards Hospice Gala and Auction, originally scheduled for May 9, was cancelled due to the pandemic. Now, the fundraiser has morphed into the Feed a Steer campaign that allows buyers to purchase a quarter, half or whole steer at a set price and to receive a tax receipt for a portion of the purchase price.
“We’re very grateful to the Cheadle Lions for their innovation and their drive to support us as a society,’ said Judy McLean, secretary to the board and communication director with the WAHS. “The creativity idea has to go to Sonny Warrack of the Cheadle Lions.
The Cheadle Lions has been holding Feed a Steer campaigns for many years; in recent years the WAHS has benefited from the fundraiser.
Originally starting with 40 steers to sell, 10 of which were sold to previous buyers through an email campaign, around half of the steers remain left to sell and are available for purchase in quarter ($625), half ($1,250) and whole ($2,500) sizes.
The steers should be finished by the end of May and will be delivered to Pure Country Meats for butchering with cut and wrap cost extra to the buyers.
“It’s our main fundraiser and we still need to sell them,” said fundraising director Gerry Kroon. “Of course, steers don’t wait and when they’re ready, they’re ready.”
All money raised will go towards the capital building fund for the construction of a hospice building in the future.
According to McLean, past Steering Towards Hospice fundraisers have brought in anywhere from $75,000 to $120,000. Once all steers are sold this year, the WAHS stands to make around $40,000, down an average of 55 per cent less than usual.
For information or to purchase a steer, contact Sonny Warrack at sonny@brucefarms.ca.
Another way to help support the WAHS is to watch for details on the upcoming Farming for Hospice Carseland fundraiser.
Nutrien offered a quarter section of its land for the Farming for Hospice fundraiser this year; 160 acres will be planted into a barley crop by a “combination of farmers that are contributing to operations.” Each acre worth of inputs will be sold to raise funds for the capital building fund.
“We’re hoping it goes well and that it will raise us a significant amount of money; we’ve got to pray for good grain prices and a good crop,” said Kroon, who added more details will be available soon at wheatlandhospice.ca.