Heart Month is a chance to focus on health.
The local campaign held a kick-off rally at the Estevan Public Library on Jan. 30, as canvassers came in to collect the kits they will be taking door to door over the next month, looking for donations.
Tamara Bloor is the local Heart and Stroke Foundation's latest co-ordinator keeping the roughly 50 canvassers organized and motivated while they are out braving the cold.
Bloor noted that there are many ways the donations provide concrete returns in the community, including automated external defibrillators (AED) and programming designed to promote heart health.
"The funds are used to place AEDs and we have two in the city," said Bloor, who said that was good for a city like Estevan. She compared it with Weyburn, where she is also co-ordinating the campaign, and noted that city doesn't have an AED yet. "It's quite good for the city to have two placed."
She said the funds also go to research programs, including an upcoming project at the University of Saskatchewan that will focus on heart disease and stroke.
Bloor noted, communities like Estevan also benefit through My Healthy Community grants. Community projects can apply for funds of up to $4,000 as long as they are focusing on improving heart health. Bloor noted in Weyburn a grant was awarded to the Bridge School, which is a school for at-risk youth.
"They have their own facility but they didn't have a gym, so their students would have to go off-site or make up their own physical activity requirements. They were awarded a My Healthy Community grant to put a gym in their school and ensure that their students were meeting the daily physical activity requirements, just as students at the high school would be."
Bloor said there is a push this year to get people involved and donating in ways other than through the door-to-door canvassers.
"We're continuing the door-to-door campaign that has been in Estevan for many, many years, but we've also added a business campaign this year. We have several businesses in town that will be selling paper hearts as part of the Share Your Heart campaign."
There are four businesses in Estevan taking part in the campaign, and anyone can visit to donate through the sale of the red paper hearts Those businesses include Pharmasave, LiveFree Activewear, Soul Hideout and Jenny Joans. Other businesses in the city are participating in Wear What You Love, which is an employee dress-down day that sees employees donating in order to wear casual clothes.
"That's an addition to the campaign this year that hasn't been done much in Estevan. It has been done in the past, but we're trying to grow that part of the campaign," Bloor said.
Even with the other initiatives, the canvassers and volunteers are still the lifeblood of Heart Month.
"We've had a really good response this year. We have some new canvassers coming on this year, which is awesome," she said. "When they pick up the phone and it's someone on the other end of the line, I'm really glad so many people are willing to take that up. I know everyone's busy. Everyone's got lots on the go, so I'm very thankful that these people signed up."
Bloor noted the local campaign was about six canvassers short of where they wanted to be on Jan. 30, two days before the start of Heart Month.
"We were about six short, and I contacted the Estevan Bruins, and they are sending 12 of their players into the community in the month of February to walk six routes for me. They have picked up those extra positions, and I'd like to thank them for that," she said. "The Bruins are a community team, and they're showing that they support the community as well."
Bloor said there was an AED in Affinity Place, where the Bruins call home. There are a number of others placed around the city.
There are canvassers in areas all over the city, but Bloor said if a canvasser doesn't come to your door, you can go to one of the businesses to buy a paper heart. There is no set price for the hearts, so people may make a donation of their choosing.
The canvassers all have volunteer badges to make them easily recognizable, noted Bloor.
"You won't see somebody come to your door and not be able to identify themselves with the badge. They're going to have the kit and the badge."
Donations may also be made online at heartandstroke.sk.ca
For those looking to volunteer or otherwise get involved, that website will help them get started.
