YORKTON — Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) staff and community members came together Thursday for a community garage sale, barbecue and silent auction. The event supported co-worker Virginia Hopkins and her family as they face a lengthy recovery period for her two-year-old daughter, Talulah.
The fundraiser, held at the YTC office, featured dozens of vendor tables staffed by employees, donated auction items and a vehicle for sale. All proceeds will help the family with expenses. Talulah recently underwent brain surgery at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon for Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
“This is our community YTC garage sale,” said Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup. “This is our first time, so hopefully it’ll grow if we continue to have it every year.” O’Soup added that the event was open to all staff members who wanted to set up tables.
Terri-Ann Lepowick, YTC’s director of justice, emphasized that the staff wanted to rally behind a colleague they consider family.
“Talulah remains in the hospital in Saskatoon,” Lepowick said. “It’s going to be a long road for them. She’ll be off work for a while, and the little girl is only two years old, so we thought, ‘Let’s try to help our family out.’”
The idea grew out of a planned garage sale and the justice department’s well-known fondness for supporting local causes.
“Our department likes hot dogs,” Lepowick laughed. “We go to all the community fundraisers and our justice staff is there buying hot dogs. We thought, what’s more appropriate than to have a hot dog sale?”
Local businesses also stepped forward. Harvest Meats donated hot dogs for the barbecue, and others provided prizes for the silent auction.
Among those lending a hand was nine-year-old entrepreneur Kaylee Prodonchuk from Ebenezer. She operated a booth selling customized “dirty sodas” through her small business, Kaylee’s Pop Shop.
Kaylee plans to donate $100 to the family. She and her mother, Kim Prodonchuk, are challenging local businesses to match or exceed that amount.
Asked why she wanted to help, Kaylee offered a simple answer: “So her daughter can have a normal life.”
Kaylee will continue her fundraising efforts at the Clock Tower Market on Aug. 23, selling drinks from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
