KAMSACK — It was a picnic in the sun around noon at the Legacy Co-op service station in Kamsack on Sept. 16 when Co-op staff and representatives of Creative Kids Saskatchewan served barbecued hot dogs during the Co-op’s annual Fuel Good Day.
Customers stopped at the gasoline pumps, eager to fill their tanks to provide 10 cents per litre of the fuel cost to Creative Kids Canada, which was the charitable organization selected this year to benefit from the event.
And on the lawn adjacent, a barbecue and awnings were set up to help celebrate the day with the serving of hot dogs and desserts, for which donations were received to be added to the amount being collected for the charity.
Among the persons attending the barbecue were: former Hyas resident, Dean Kush of Regina, who is the CEO of Creative Kids Saskatchewan; Jessie Huber, marketing manager for Legacy Co-op; Amber Severson, manager of the Kamsack Co-op service station; Elizabeth Oyelami of Regina, administrator of Creative Kids; Gloria Walsh of Regina, manager of Creative Kids, and Amar Parmar, branch manager of the RBC Bank in Melville.
All the food served at the barbecue was donated by Legacy Co-op, said Steph Daneliuk, a Legacy employee at Kamsack. Creative Kids supports children across the province who are interested in art classes and other extracurricular activities.
Sept. 24 is the fall deadline for applications, while a deadline for classes beginning in January is Dec. 3, Daneliuk added.
Dean Kush, who was in conversation with her sister Brenda Kondratoff of Kamsack, was keen to emphasize that all the money raised at this event, from the gasoline sales and the barbecue, will be spent on children locally.
“Creative Kids Saskatchewan helps children and youth, from families facing financial barriers, participate in creative activities such as art classes, dance training, music or language lessons, theatre workshops and more, said information from Creative Kids Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan children aged four to 19 are eligible to apply.
“Go to creativekidssask.ca to see a full list of activities funded,” the information said. Up to $750 per child per year can be available.
“Are your kids interested in arts and culture?” asks a pamphlet distributed by Creative Kids. “If program costs are a problem, check out Creative Kids.”
“I know because of my situation that it’s impossible for me to cover the costs of these activities,” said a Creative Kids mother. “Creative Kids has helped a lot for my children.”
“All I want is for my kids to be happy, confident and doing well,” said another Creative Kids mother. “Being involved in music has helped my daughter with that.”
“I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it hadn’t been for the support of Creative Kids,” said a youth who had received support in the program. “Today I am happy, successful and so proud of where dancing has taken me. I have received awards and achievements, completed goals, travelled all over the world, met incredible people and graduated college.”
In addition to the Kamsack event, the Fuel Good Day at other Legacy locations raised funds for the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan, the Churchbridge Aquatic Centre and the Theodore ABC Daycare.
Jessie Huber said results of the program at Kamsack will be released to the media shortly after tallies are completed.
