The Broken Arrow Youth Ranch ministry near Wood Mountain has been holding a fundraiser, the Broken Arrow Classic, in Estevan since 2013.
The ministry’s director, Todd Moroz, is a former Estevan resident who has organized two hockey tournaments and a golf tournament in the Energy City as a means to gather support and awareness for the ranch.
This year’s event will take a different approach, though. The ranch has been accepted to compete in the Estevan Strippers annual Spring Bust Tournament from April 5 to 9. They were on the waiting list for the tournament, and managed to get in.
They will be known as the Broken Arrow Bruins. Their team will boast players from the Estevan area who aren’t on a team for the tournament, as well as those from the Wood Mountain region, Saskatoon and as far away as Whitecourt, Alberta. These are players who have supported Broken Arrow over the years at their hockey tournaments.
“We’re going to be drawing our team from outside of Estevan, primarily because so many players here are on other teams in the tournament,” said Moroz.
The ranch will also host a fundraising breakfast on April 9 at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s multi-purpose room, starting at 8 a.m. There will be a guest speaker, who has yet to be announced. There will also be a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle.
The breakfast was going to happen regardless of whether Broken Arrow’s entry was accepted into the tournament.
“There’s a lot of different players from a lot of different communities at the tournament,” said Moroz.
Some players might have to leave the breakfast early, he said, but Moroz hopes most of the people at the breakfast will stick around to hear their speaker.
Tickets will be available in advance or at the door.
The Broken Arrow Youth Ranch is a ministry that helps families. Through a private co-operative agreement, children under the age of 18 years spend a minimum of one year at the ranch, with the goal of reuniting them with their families.
Parents who are finding it difficult to properly care for their children because they are battling personal issues such as addictions, abuse, family illness and unhealthy relationships, have their children stay at Broken Arrow.
Youth experience education and life on a fully functioning and working ranch that has cattle, horses, chickens and other animals. The young people also hear faith-based values.
Moroz said their previous events in Estevan have been well-received. The proceeds from the previous fundraisers have allowed them to nearly complete a family renewal centre.
“That’s a multi-purpose building. It is going to be used for our grandparent couple who lives in one of the apartments,” said Moroz. “We have an apartment completed for families when parents come to visit their children on site. And the facility is ready to do our on-site school program.”
Broken Arrow has found the needs of the children at the ranch are varied, and the children need time to adjust to their new surroundings.
“For the first six to eight months, we’re going to school them on-site, using an online program out of the Sun West School Division,” said Moroz. “So they’ll be studying under the Saskatchewan curriculum, but they’ll have more one-on-one attention.”
The ranch also has some new staff. Pastor Rick Hawreschuk and his wife Nancy have come on board so that Hawreschuk can serve as the new CEO. Darcy and Crystal Hole, who have a background as foster parents, are now the ranch’s house couple.
Moroz’s wife, Lara, remains Broken Arrow’s administrator.
The ranch is excited with these developments, and the ability to take in more children.
