An animal rescue organization is turning to the public to help drive two fundraising initiatives this month.
Heaven Can Wait has been chosen as the beneficiary of a one-man charitable ride through the Foothills on Aug. 16 called Ralph’s Ride.
“Ralph Martin is a local fellow,” said Kim Hessel, Heaven Can Wait founder. “He has a ton of health issues, and he wanted to do something that would generate a little bit of funds for us, but also to prove to himself he can do this, he can do 100 miles on his bicycle.”
A past member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 68-year-old Martin suffers from heart disease and had a stent put in 10 years ago, and still has three more arteries that are 50 to 60 per cent blocked. In addition, he has pain in his right knee, which was supposed to have been replaced in 2003, severe arthritis in his lumbar spine and irreparable damage to one of his shoulders.
“At one point in my life I had a look at myself and said do I want to be on a bunch of medication all the time, or do I want to do what the doctor is telling me – keep me off medication and make my own endorphins,” said Martin in a video created for Heaven Can Wait. “I can’t walk a kilometre but I can bike 100.”
Martin is taking off from northwest High River at 6 a.m. on Aug. 16 and will tackle a 160-kilometre route along highways and back roads to the kennel, which he estimates will take about eight to 10 hours.
He has been training for months to build his endurance and prepare for the ride, said Hessel.
“All the health challenges he’s managed to overcome, cycling has been such a big part of that,” she said. “He’s a pretty cool guy.”
It’s his survivor spirit that speaks to the crew at Heaven Can Wait, who regularly deal with animals recovering from injury and sometimes fighting for their lives. Martin had spoken to Hessel prior to deciding to bike in support of the organization about his love and appreciation of animals.
“He’s one of those guys who likes animals more than people, and really wanted to do something to help us,” said Hessel. “It’s pretty neat how it’s working.”
As of Aug. 12, Ralph’s Ride had raised $4,500 in corporate sponsorship and additional $2,800 in donations.
Hope at Work
Heaven Can Wait is also part of an international contest for $50,000 USD to be put towards renovations for the winning not-for-profit organization.
The contest, called Hope at Work, is organized by Pella Corp., a residential window and doors design and manufacturing company from the United States. Heaven Can Wait was nominated by one of their representatives in western Canada and was accepted after submitting an application that outlined the work done by the organization and how funds would be used.
It is now one of 26 vying for the grand prize money.
“We’re the only animal rescue on that list and we’re the only non-profit that was selected for Canada,” said Hessel. “It’s huge.”
The $50,000 is intended to make the winning organization’s space better and safer, she said.
At Heaven Can Wait, that will take the form of a few different projects, the top ask being a dog wash – something that has been lacking at the facility since it opened in 1999.
“Something that’s easy to clean, that can fit a big dog, that has some of the tools we would need to shave them or do whatever it is we need to do,” said Hessel. “The dogs that come in, they’re filthy, it never fails. But some of them are just too nervous to actually go to a groomer or a dog wash, so I would love to have something like that.”
In addition, she said the dog runs are currently being repaired and puckboard, a sturdy plastic material that is resilient and can withstand heavy use and freezing temperatures, is being installed.
Puckboard is an expensive alternative, though better in the long-run, she said.
“It’s so easy to clean and it’s hard for the animals to damage it,” said Hessel.
She is also looking at laminate flooring, which would be a durable option for indoor surfaces. It’s all about make the facilities easier to clean, which is better for staff, volunteers and animals.
Having $50,000 USD to cover those renovations would be a gift, and every vote towards Heaven Can Wait gets the rescue foundation closer to that goal.
As of Aug. 12, Heaven Can Wait was sitting at more than 15,000 votes.
“Compared to some of the other groups we’re just miles and miles ahead,” said Hessel. “It’s amazingly encouraging and I’m really hoping that when all is said and done that it’s us who walks away with that incredible amount of money.”
People can vote at pella.com/buildinghope once per day, per device, until Aug. 24.
