Anyone who has lived in Saskatchewan for at least a year can vouch for the impact and the greatness of Telemiracle.
Organized by Saskatchewan’s Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs, the 20-hour fundraiser allows Saskatchewan people to access funds for their medical needs, whether it be for a motorized scooter for mobility issues, or for expenses associated with medical treatments away from home.
Treatments out-of-province can be expensive when one considers the costs for travel, accommodations and food, so that’s why Telemiracle is a real asset.
The Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation has also supported such ventures as the dialysis unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, saving local residents from travelling to Regina for dialysis, and school projects such as the inclusive playground structure at Westview School.
Thanks to Saskatchewan people,, Telemiracle’s foundation is going to help a lot more people this year.
Saskatchewan residents donated more than $7.1 million to Telemiracle this past weekend. Not only was it the first time that Telemiracle eclipsed the $7 million mark, it was the first time the fundraiser had cleared $6 million.
It’s a pretty remarkable feat when a fundraiser that has received so much support over the years can eclipse its previous off-air record with two hours to go, and beats that previous record by $1.2 million.
As a bonus, Estevan’s Susan Colbow was the Telemiracle chair, the first time that a member of the local Kin clubs has held such a distinction. It’s a high-profile, time-consuming gig, but Colbow did a great job, and was always quick to pay tribute to the team around her and the people of Saskatchewan as a whole.
Telemiracle brings out the best in Saskatchewan people. It’s been around for more than 40 years. We know where the money is going to help people. Most people in Saskatchewan know somebody who has benefitted from Telemiracle, either because the Telemiracle foundation helped someone with medical expenses, or because Telemiracle assisted with a capital item, such as the dialysis unit.
It’s the event that made Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame such a beloved person in this province. McGrath’s an American, but we’ve adopted him as one of our own, since he entertained at 38 of the first 39 years, and returned this year for the first time since 2015 in what was a stirring moment.
Each year local Kinsmen and Kinettes in communities across the province hold fundraisers for Telemiracle. School children, businesses and community groups throw their support behind Telemiracle as well.
We aren’t going to agree on politics, religion or hockey, but we all seem to agree that Telemiracle is worth our support.
And it was even more special to have a local person in charge of the committee in the year in which Telemiracle cleared $7 million for the first time.
