A wide range of community organizations will be receiving grants this year as part of the grants provided by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. Of the $2 million given out across the province, Yorkton and area received $120,520.
The grant gives a charitable organization which runs a gambling fundraiser 25 per cent of what they raised, to a maximum of $100,000. Charities get the grant automatically, based on paperwork provided to the SLGA. In the city of Yorkton itself, grants ranged in size from $10,585.82 to the Ukrainian Church Camps of Saskatchewan to $63.00 to Guardian Angel Animal Rescue, Saskatchewan Ltd.
Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit says that these gaming activities are a good way to raise funds for these community based organizations, and they are glad to have the SLGA recognize this through grants to the different organizations.
“The better they do, the bigger grant they get back.”
The goal of the grants is to assist these groups with the activities they are doing in the province.
“It gives them the availability of income to go back into the things that they do best to support those community initiatives.”
Ottenbreit says that the most encouraging thing is the variety of organizations which are receiving grants, whether it’s sporting organizations, service clubs, volunteer fire departments or animal rescues. While the SLGA grants give back to organizations that conduct gaming activities, Ottenbreit emphasizes that these are not the only organizations and volunteers that deserve recognition.
“Saskatchewan has always been well known for the volunteer base and how they contribute to the communities and the work that they do. That continues with people volunteering with things that aren’t even on this list... There are lots of other organizations and groups throughout our area and the province that do the same without these gaming activities.”
