ESTEVAN – The Estevan Kinettes once again stepped up for Telemiracle 49, raising $12,037 through community-driven fundraising efforts. The annual Saskatchewan telethon, held in Saskatoon over the weekend, brought in an impressive $5.7 million to support people in the province with medical expenses and mobility equipment.
For Krissy Wallman, chairwoman of the Estevan Kinettes' fundraising efforts, the event’s conclusion brought a mix of emotions.
"It's a time to reflect and relax now for a little bit. It was wonderful," Wallman said. "I always love the busyness of Telemiracle and all the things we do, but just after Telemiracle, you get that sense of relief and get a moment to relax and see everything that we did for Telemiracle."
The Estevan Kinettes raised funds through several initiatives, including an online auction, coin box donations, an entertaining "Pie in the Face" challenge that brought together local leaders and residents in a friendly competition, Helping Hands and more.
Wallman noted that the annual auction has been a cornerstone of their fundraising efforts, with this year marking its sixth edition.
"We had 169 items and raised $8,930," she said.
Coin donation boxes were placed at local businesses such as Fired Up Grill and A&W, with A&W also selling Helping Hand cutouts to support the cause. Additionally, the Faris family, including two children and their grandmother, contributed by hosting a bake sale and lemonade stand, which brought in $751.
Fired Up Grill also made a monetary donation, with tips from their Valentine's Day services contributing to the total.
One of the highlights of this year’s campaign was the third friendly fundraising challenge between Estevan and Nokomis, where Wallman's mom and a big supporter of Telemiracle lives.
"We always like to put the fun into fundraising," Wallman said.
For this year’s challenge, community members donated money and earned votes to determine which local figures would receive a pie in the face.
"Mom, she had five people from Nokomis, and we found five here, which included the mayor, Tony Sernick, the ECS principal, James Jones, lifetime Kinsmen member[and city councillor] Dave Elliott, and two of our Kinette members, Susan Colbow and Raylene Fieber," Wallman explained.
At the end of the campaign, the top vote-getters - Sernick, Jones, and Colbow - each took a pie to the face during a live-streamed event on the Estevan Kinettes’ Facebook page.
"We had 119 votes in total," Wallman said. "Tony Sernick, he got the most votes with 33 votes, and he got pied."
Wallman herself was also on the receiving end of a pie after Nokomis out-fundraised Estevan in personal donations.
"The opposing team rep had to get a pie," she said. "So unfortunately, I got pied as well, because Nokomis, they raised over $2,300, and we raised $1,775."
Although Wallman was unable to attend Telemiracle 49 due to illness, several Estevan Kinettes members made the trip to Saskatoon to volunteer during the live broadcast, answering phones, helping with transportation and more.
Wallman expressed pride in the group's continued participation and dedication to the cause.
She also emphasized that none of these efforts would be possible without the generosity and support of the Estevan community.
"I just want to thank the community," she said. "Whether they donated items for the auction, or they were the winning bids, they donated personal donations - any which way they helped make a difference and raise that total. A huge thank you to them, because without them, we wouldn’t be doing what we do."
Telemiracle, organized annually by the Kinsmen and Kinettes, has been a staple of Saskatchewan philanthropy since 1977. The funds raised go directly toward helping individuals across the province access specialized medical care, equipment and travel assistance.
With Telemiracle 50 on the horizon next year, Wallman is already looking ahead to new ways to engage the community and keep the fundraising momentum going.
"I don’t know what brings for next year," she said. "With Telemiracle 50, I’d like to try and do something different."
