In a year full of rising needs in central Alberta, a Red Deer cadets group is having trouble fundraising for its youth programs.
The 1390 Red Deer Army Cadets is only about $2,000 towards its goal of raising $20,000 through a 50-50 raffle.
Parent volunteer Sarah St. Peter said the idea is to provide the winner of the draw with a $10,000 prize and still have $10,000 towards paying for camping trips and other group activities.
The 1390 Red Deer Army Cadets is a free program for kids, age 12 to 18. St. Peter noted kids from families of all income levels are involved, so the aim is to provide equal opportunities for all cadets by fundraising for things such as first-aid training, marksmanship, biathlon and band fees, sleeping bags, name tags, lanyards, etc.
All funds raised will go towards enhancing the program “so that the kids are able to have experiences that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to have,” she added.
Army cadets programs also provides youths with many community-service related activities, including working with the Legion, volunteering at seniors’ homes, the Red Deer Food Bank, as well as a other charitable initiatives.
The 1390 Red Deer Army Cadets has about 80 young members and a long history in Red Deer. Historically, some of its members went on to serve in both World War Wars, said St. Peter.
Although some cadets still go into the military today after aging out of the program, St. Peters added most put the leadership and public speaking skills they learn towards getting into college and university programs.
Anyone interested in helping with the fundraiser can go to www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/cfsa.
