A St. Albert company is challenging other businesses to meet or beat their donation to Halle Popowich.
KDM Management, located in St. Albert Campbell Business Park, is donating $1,000 to the family of Halle Popowich toward the construction of a playground.
“We have a sponsorship committee at KDM and we saw the article in the paper. And we thought, well, it’s St. Albert, it’s something good to donate to,” said Kristy Preyser, one of the organizers of the corporate challenge.
“Just a St. Albert business helping a St. Albert girl.”
Popowich was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in June of 2012. She underwent months of treatment, which included a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
The Children’s Wish Foundation decided to fulfill Halle’s wish of getting a new piece of playground equipment for her St. Albert school, J.J. Nearing Catholic Elementary School.
But playground equipment is expensive and the wish foundation has a limited budget. Halle’s parents are helping to fund the project but they still need money to prepare the ground of the play area.
A number of community members and businesses since decided to help complete the park.
One group, led by Jennifer Doucette-Giordano, set up a Facebook page called Halle’s Playground Wish.
The fundraiser asks Save-On Foods cardholders to donate 1,000 points. The store will match the donation at a rate of $1 per 1,000 points.
The group is also setting up a link on Halle’s school website for people to donate directly to the school. The link is expected to go up this week.
Doucette-Giordano said the group has received about $5000 in donations by now, not including the Save-On Foods fundraiser.
“Everyone is waiting for the online donation so we are still at 20 to 25 per cent,” she said.
“It’s anywhere between $20,000 and $40,000 to get a nice couple of pieces in there for her along with the piece from the children’s wish foundation for the main piece.”
Anyone wanting to take part in the corporate challenge can mail or take a cheque or money order to J.J. Nearing school at 196 Deer Ridge Dr. under the name of Halle’s Playground Wish.
The locations of Save-On Foods accepting point donations in St. Albert are North and Village Landing. Edmonton locations are Mayfield, Oxford, Ellerslie, Stadium and Baseline in Sherwood Park.
