A handful of dedicated locals who have stayed at, or who are related to those who have stayed at Ronald McDonald House, walked around the Energy City, raising awareness for a good cause. A very sunny, warm Saturday morning was the date of the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Walk.
“It’s a beautiful day for the walk. We couldn’t ask for better, really. The people you see have, or know someone who has, needed to travel to Saskatoon, and have gotten accommodations from Ronald McDonald House,” said Tammy Forrester, chief executive officer with Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan. “We want everyone to know the house is available to everyone in the province.”
Forrester noted that, although the event only had a modest turnout of 16 people, it was a “good little community, to bring awareness” to Estevan. She added that every single walk that happens in the province is important, because it raises awareness of Ronald McDonald House, and the services it offers.
“I think these have to happen in places like Estevan. The more presence we have, the more people are aware of what we have to offer. This is our fifth walk for the month of June,” said Forrester. “So far, we’ve been walking in places that range from Meadow Lake to Yorkton, where there actually were 125 people walking.
“This is a great opportunity for families, who’ve used Ronald McDonald House, to connect with one another and raise some money for operations of the house.”
Ronald McDonald House supports the families of children, from newborns to those 18 years of age, who need to travel to Saskattoon for health care needs. The house provides accommodations for children and their families, while those children are receiving medical care or treatment in the city. Forrester emphasized after the walk was completed, that although the house is in Saskatoon, that it’s available to anyone, from anywhere in the province.
The walk set out at a leisurely pace from the busy parking lot of The Estevan Shoppers Mall, where the farmers market was held, and a cheque presentation from the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup organizing committee to the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games committee took place. Walkers took a route that went through neighbourhoods near the mall, dressed in emblematic red, enthusiastic and cheerful to be out, spreading the word for Ronald McDonald House.
