You never know who is going to show how much he or she cares about Okotoks and the surrounding area.
A few years ago, there was a surprise donor to the Western Wheel Cares program.
“Two little girls came in and brought money they got from the Tooth Fairy and they donated it to Western Wheel Cares,” said Gayle Wolf, Okotoks Wheel office manager and a an organizer of the Wheel Cares program.
This is the ninth year for Western Wheel Cares, which has the Western Wheel collecting donations from members of the community and distributing to participating charities. This year’s campaign runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
In the past eight years, Wheel Cares has raised more than $390,000 for participating charities. This year’s charities are the Okotoks Food Bank, Pound Rescue, Rowan House Society, the Magic of Christmas, the Sheep River Health Trust, Foothills Country Hospice, and, new this year, the Foothills Advocacy in Motion.
“It’s nice that we are able to include the Foothills AIM Society as one of charities this year,” Wolf said. “Many of their clients are paper carriers for us and have been for many years. They also pick up and deliver our Canada Post mail, three times per week (rain, or shine or snowy weather), for which we are very grateful.
“It’s wonderful that we are able to give back to them by including the group in this year’s campaign.”
FAIM helps keep special needs adults living and working in their home communities.
Jessica Koch, FAIM fundraising and communications director, said the money will go to not the so glamourous stuff that keeps the wheel’s moving.
“There’s some boring stuff that our fundraising dollars go towards like mileage, staff training — especially during COVID we have done extra medical health training for staff.”
Down the road, Foothills AIM Society, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, will need to expand or build a new facility Okotoks.
The extra cash will come in handy.
“For the most part we haven’t been able to do our fundraising events because of COVID,” Koch said. “But the community has stepped up and we have looked at different things (to raise money).”
Western Wheel publisher Shaun Jessome is at the helm for his second Western Wheel Cares campaign.
“Tremendously impressed,” Jessome said. “I couldn’t believe that the community could step up so much and help all these organizations. I couldn’t believe how much people gave.”
This year there are added difficulties for charity organizations due to COVID-19.
“This (Western Wheel Cares) is one way where a lot of people can help some very important charities.”
While the Western Wheel is the facilitator of the program, it is the public and businesses that drive the bus.
“We are hoping the public and businesses realize how important it is to get some dollars in the hands of these charities, “ Jessome said. “The money just flows through us and goes to the charities.”
Western Wheel will feature one of the seven charities for the next seven weeks.
To donate to Western Wheel Cares: mail cheques to Box 150, Okotoks Ab. T1S 2A2 or click here for a for a Paypal donation link.
As well, you can drop by to the Wheel office at 9 McRae St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch.)
