Western Wheel Cares donors outdid themselves in 2022, raising a record amount for local charities.
The annual campaign, which just completed its 11th year, will be dividing $82,670 equally among seven charitable organizations that serve a wide range of needs in Okotoks and throughout the Foothills.
The 2022 mark tops the previous record of $72,107 set in 2021 and brings the 11-year total to $569,059.
“I’m always amazed by how well this goes; I’m always amazed by the response, it’s just phenomenal,” said Western Wheel publisher Shaun Jessome. “I thought we hit a high-water mark last year, but to blow it away by an extra $10,000 this year, that’s incredible.”
Jessome said people embrace the campaign, which runs annually from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, partly because it allows them to give to many organizations with one donation. He said he was really pleased by the fact that one in six donations was $50 or less.
“It doesn’t have to be a large donation because it all adds up and it all goes to great causes,” he said.
“I’m blown away, I’m absolutely blown away yet again. This town is such a giving town,” Jessome added.
The publisher singled out Gayle Wolf, Western Wheel office manager and Wheel Cares co-ordinator, for all the work she does to run the campaign year after year.
“It wouldn’t happen without her,” he said.
Wolf said it’s really exciting to surpass the half million-dollar mark in donations, adding the campaign has helped 11 charity groups along the way.
She said the donation total has more than tripled since the inaugural campaign in 2012 thanks to amazing community support.
Wolf said there were fewer donors in 2022 but the average donation was up, which pushed the total to a record level.
“It’s wonderful that we have so many regular donors,” she said. “It's really nice to see their smiling faces every year.”
Wolf said she even received donations before the campaign kicked off in November, including one from the Big Rock Singers.
“It's an honour to do this for all these years and for the community support we’ve received during that time,” she said.
Throughout the campaign, the Wheel profiled each of the seven organizations to showcase their services and learn what they would be doing with Wheel Cares funding.
Foothills Advocacy in Motion will be putting the money towards a new building as it has outgrown its space in Okotoks where it offers employment, volunteer and community access support to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Rowan House will use the funding to cope with rising food prices, increased water bills and purchase of new beds as well as for Christmas baskets filled with personal care items for its in-shelter and outreach clients.
The Okotoks Food Bank will be using the money to increase its cold storage which would allow it to accept larger donations of root vegetables and other goods. Other items on the food bank’s wish list are a larger freezer and a larger cooler for the help-yourself area.
Pound Rescue, which spends as much as 90 per cent of its annual budget on vet bills, will once again use the funding to cover veterinary services for the dogs and cats in its care.
The Sheep River Health Trust will use the funds for its school meal program that last year provided over 21,000 meals to students throughout the Foothills.
Foothills Country Hospice will utilize the funding to expand services beyond the hospice’s walls. The aim of new programs, once fully rolled out, will be to have outreach available to those in the community.
Money from Western Wheel Cares will help Inclusion Foothills with several of its family support and community outreach programs, from one-to-one support, to its Sibshops and Step Up parent support.
