A $40,000 donation from Build a Kid to Cure and Golf a Kid to Cure will help families, especially children, at Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter.
About $12,000 will go towards the shelter’s summer programs for children and $10,000 will be used to complete a therapeutic water feature in the shelter’s healing centre for children.
“Sensory stimulus for kids who have been traumatized helps to slow their breathing, slow their respiration and de-stresses them and then they benefit much more from the programs and activities,” said Ian Wheeliker, CAWES executive director, on Wednesday at the cheque presentation.
The rest of the money will go towards renovating five bedrooms at the shelter to make families feel comfortable and safe.
Wheeliker said the public probably doesn’t realize that about half the people using the shelter are children. Currently, 28 people are staying at the shelter.
“If we don’t help the children as they are growing, help them heal from the trauma, and help them understand that violence is never acceptable, then what happens is, the boys especially, are very likely to grow up and become the next generation of abusers.
“If we are ever going to stop domestic violence, we have to work with the kids,” Wheeliker said.
This year, Build a Kid To Cure and Golf a Kid to Cure raised a total of $180,000, about $20,000 more than last year.
In addition to helping out CAWES, $90,000 from the activities went to Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta.
“Everything we’ve done is for kids. That’s where our focus has always been and will remain,” said Dave Wild, chairperson of Red Deer’s Build and Golf a Kid to Cure fundraising organization.
“In 10 years, we’ve raised approximately $1.4 million.”
The sixth annual Build a Kid to Cure house was built by Laebon Homes in four and a half days in Timberstone in July.
The 10th annual Golf a Kid to Cure attracted 144 golfers on Aug. 24 at Alberta Springs Golf Resort.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com