FOUNDATIONS

Committed TO CARING

A closer look at four inspiring fundraisers

BY NATHAN KUNZ

STOLLERY FAMILY DAY CLASSIC

TEN TOURNAMENTS, THOUSANDS OF PLAYERS AND MILLIONS OF

DOLLARS RAISED have made the Stollery Family Day Classic a staple in Edmonton youth hockey.

This year’s installation brought 82 Alberta teams from novice through bantam to Edmonton’s Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre for the fast-paced four-on-four tournament. Held from February 14-17, the 2020 Classic raised more than $324,000 through fundraising, sponsor donations, 50/50 tickets and raffles. This brings the total to $3.2 million since 2011 in support of the best people, programs, equipment and research at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, and local hockey initiatives. For 2020, Stollery funds went to initiatives such as the Hospital’s pediatric oncology program.

Reflecting on the past decade, founder and chairman Steve Serdachny says the tournament’s continued success is largely owed to a core team — among them Tracy Martin, Dan Serdachny, Patrick Dumelie and Chantal Geoffrion — who work hard to provide young players with a chance to give back.

“It’s not a giant organization. It’s just some really passionate people who dedicate their time and energy,” says Serdachny. “[And] it’s really never been about the money raised — it’s about the tens of thousands of kids who have been impacted from playing in this tournament and have become, I think, stronger, better people by thinking of others.”

MEERA GOLDY DAVE’S BABY SHOWER

WHEN MEERA GOLDY

DAVE was born on October 26, 2018, she and her family were 300 kilometres away from home.

Prior to Meera’s birth, Madison and Shrenuj Dave were told their daughter would be born with a severe congenital heart defect, requiring an operation that was only performed in Western Canada at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. The family, who live in Calgary, travelled north ahead of the delivery date.

After Meera’s successful surgery at six days old and a five-week recovery in the Stollery’s pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), the Dave family headed home with two things on their minds — celebrating their daughter and giving back to the team that helped her through a turbulent first few weeks.

Through organizing efforts from grandmother Pam, the family celebrated

3CHERYL’S RUN FOR APLASTIC ANEMIA EACH SEPTEMBER, runners and non-runners alike gather in Edmonton’s scenic river valley to support two great causes: raising funds for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and promoting blood and bone marrow donations for the Canadian Blood Service. Inspired by Cheryl Lynn Boyle, a pediatric oncology nurse at the Stollery Children’s Hospital who passed away of aplastic anemia in 2017, Cheryl’s Run is a non-competitive race held in Sir Wilfred Laurier Park. “What we wanted to hold up in Cheryl’s legacy was that we will continue to help people, the same way she helped people in her life,” says Cheryl’s mother-in-law Colette Bachez, who organizes the event along with Cheryl’s aunt, Norma Kennedy.

Consisting of a 10-km run, a 5-km run and walk, and a kids obstacle course race, Cheryl’s Run was launched in 2017 and has raised close to $30,000 for the Stollery since its inception. And earlier this year, the race was awarded 2019 Ambassador of the Year by Canadian Blood Services.

More so than accolades, Kennedy says witnessing her community rally around the causes inspires the team to keep the event coming back each year.

“It’s overwhelming when you see first-hand some of those kids that the

the newborn with a fundraiser baby shower on her three-month birthday. The event saw around 60 friends and family members welcome the newest addition to the Dave family, with donations to the Stollery PCICU accepted in the place of gifts. Ultimately, the party raised more than $2,500 for the team who helped Meera Goldy come home healthy.

“It was so heartwarming just to see so many people supporting us,” says Madison Dave. “It was just awesome to see everyone come to celebrate our little girl.”

To learn about hosting a celebrations fundraiser, visit www.stollerykids. com/ways-to-give/ birthdays-weddingsspecial-occasions.aspx.

Foundation has impacted, and you see the smiles,” says Kennedy. “We’re running and walking for them.”

To register, visitcherylsrun.com.

WOMEN OF THE WAGONS

AS CHUCKWAGON SEASON

BEGINS in early June, so do the efforts of the Women of the Wagons (WOW).

This collective of wives, sisters, friends and members tied to the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA) spend the summer travelling the Prairies for races. Inspired by the communities they visit and the families that become closely knit, WOW gives back through 50/50 draws, a pancake breakfast and a golf tournament, along with their signature season’s end event, the Denim and Diamonds Western Charity Gala.

Through their work, WOW has made a sizeable impact off the track. Since 2015, they have donated $87,000 to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, while making further contributions to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, Lloydminster Hospital’s Pediatric Ward, Saskatoon’s Ronald McDonald House and Kinsmen Telemiracle.

While their results speak volumes, Dana Laboucane, who has volunteered with the organization for five years while her husband competes, says everything they do stems from a humble force.

“We just feel like a small group of women that get together to hang out and do something good at the same time,” says Laboucane. “We are so grateful to be involved and to have had such a great response from everyone that we speak to.”

To learn about how you can host your own community fundraiser, please visit stollerykids.com/ways-to-give/community-event.aspx.

CHRISTINA SIRMAN-HUNDT PHOTOGRAPHING THE WHEELS FOR WELLNESS FUNDRAISER IN 2019.

Capturing Moments and Creating Memories

Christina Sirman-Hundt has deep connections to the Stollery Children’s Hospital BY KARIN OLAFSON

Christina Sirman-Hundt is connected to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in more ways than one. She works as the clinic manager for the Stollery’s Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health, and in November 2016, she experienced the Stollery from a different perspective when her daughter underwent surgery there.

As such, Sirman-Hundt sees the Stollery through a unique lens — and this comes in handy, as she is also a volunteer photographer for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Sirman-Hundt has always loved photography and, in her spare time, has taken several photography courses and studied the craft with a professional photographer. So, back in 2018, when she saw the Foundation’s call for volunteer photographers, Sirman-Hundt jumped at the chance to donate her creative skills. The first event she photographed was the 2018 Wheels for Wellness, and since then, she has captured special moments for numerous Foundation events and fundraisers, including the Snowflake Gala, Stollery Spotlight and the Teddy Bear Fun Run.

“I love working the Stollery’s events and meeting people. One of my most memorable events has been at The Beach in the Hospital,” recalls SirmanHundt. “In January 2019, there were actors dressed up as Frozen characters

Stollery Volunteers BY THE NUMBERS

1,261 Number of active Foundation volunteers in 2019

5,660 Hours volunteered to date

2,066 Volunteer opportunities available each year

14 Age of youngest volunteer

968 Volunteers from Edmonton

23% Percentage of volunteers from outside Edmonton, with the furthest community being Lloydminster

21 Number of years the longestserving volunteer has given back

35 Volunteers since April 2018 who have joined our program and have identified a personal Stollery connection