One local business has already met the corporate challenge to fulfill Halle Popowich’s wish.
Darek Ziemian, owner of Original Joe’s in St. Albert, said the restaurant was collecting money for its Community Give Back program and originally intended to donate to a different cause. But he decided Halle’s Playground Wish fundraiser was more urgent.
“I topped up the donation to an even number and decided to help out with the school and the fundraiser,” he said.
“It’s going for a great cause and this is why we have these programs. You have to put them in good use when you can.”
The Community Give Back program collects 50 cents of each selected pint sold at the restaurant and donates it to a local charity.
Ziemian said he didn’t even know about the competition when he first decided to give $1,000 to the initiative.
The corporate challenge started this week when KDM Management, located in St. Albert Campbell Business Park, also gave $1,000 to Halle’s Playground Wish fundraiser.
Popowich was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in June of 2012 when she was six. 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. The school still needs money to prepare the ground of the play area.
One group, led by Jennifer Doucette-Giordano, recently set up a Facebook page called Halle’s Playground Wish to collect money.
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 also set up a link on the J.J. Nearing school website for people to donate directly to the school.
Doucette-Giordano said it takes between $20,000 and $40,000 to set up a couple of playground pieces, along with a piece from the children’s wish foundation.
So far, the group received about $5,000 in donations, not including money from the corporate challenge and Save-On Foods fundraiser.
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.
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.
Online donations can be made through the school’s website at www.jjn.gsacrd.ab.ca.
