Guest blog, Richard Kies, Provincial Lead for Fund Development in Saskatchewan
Yesterday I saw first-hand, once again, just how much the people of Saskatchewan care about their neighbours, particularly in the southeast corner of the province, that have been affected by a devastating flood this summer. Radio stations CJME in Regina and CKOM in Saskatoon hosted a province-wide, 12-hour Saskatchewan Day of Caring Radio-thon to raise money for Red Cross flood relief. The final tally – an incredible $511,741!
At a Saskatchewan radio-thon, over $500,000 was raised over the one-day campaign.
This is the fourth time that Rawlco Radio (owners of the two stations) have held a radio-thon for Red Cross; but the previous three were focused on international disasters with extensive media coverage – the New York City attacks of September 11, 2001, the Asia Tsunami of 2004, and the Haiti earthquake of 2010. I was curious to see what the response would be for a local disaster.
We know the need is great – since early spring, over 1,800 Saskatchewan residents have been evacuated due to flooding. Over 30 communities have declared local states of emergency and Red Cross has responded, managing shelter, registering evacuees, and delivering over 1,300 clean-up kits so far. But a slow-moving flood doesn’t always evoke the same response as an earthquake or tsunami. I knew the people of this province are generous to a fault, but I didn’t really know what to expect.
Well, the outcome was overwhelming. Not just due to the amount of money raised, but also because people called in to say things like, “we have to help our neighbours,” “it’s the least we could do,” and “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t help out.” To hear those comments and to see the trust that donors put in Red Cross made me feel really proud to work for this organization.
Now we can focus on helping families get back on their feet, with the confidence of knowing that some of the money needed to make that difference is already in the bank.