A Winkler family is back in what has become a tradition of honouring their late wife, mother and grandma.
For the third year in a row, a bracelet stand will reappear on the front lawn of the James home, down Sandpiper Crescent in Winkler, today, where Alitta James' grandchildren - Grady, Everly and Tiana - will be selling the handmade accessories in her memory and raising money for CancerCare Manitoba.
"The kids are just super pumped to make bracelets and sell them," said Jenilee Goertzen, Grady's mom.
Last year, the kids sold 275 bracelets and raised just under $2,000.
Everly, Tiana and Grady joined us in studio this week.
Making bracelets was something Alitta loved to do, especially with Everly, who turned this hobby into purpose.
Jenilee says this fund raiser honours her mom perfectly.
"She always wanted to give back. She always wanted to be positive. She was a kind and caring person. When she was doing her treatments and going through her cancer journey, it was never about herself. She would come home from her treatments and say, 'guess who I got to cheer up today?' or 'guess who I saw today.' I think that's living on through the grandkids now - 'guess who I got to cheer up with a bracelet today'. "
Since that first fund raiser three years ago, the community has rallied behind the children and helped make it the success it is.
"It was so neat to see her (Everly's) circle and her cousins' circles - we'd have their school friends coming to buy a bracelet - and then we'd have someone who went to high school with Alitta come, and they were buying bracelets together. It's just seeing those two circles come together and support this," added Rachel, Everly's mom.
A Christmas wish
For Everly, her preferred colour to make bracelets out of is violet - a favourite that was her grandmother's and now hers.
Grady likes to use red and green, the colours of Christmas.
And speaking of Christmas, the 9-year-old has already been working on his list, but it's not what you might think. This year, he's asked God for one day in heaven with his grandma.
Again, the bracelet stand will reappear on the front lawn of the James home, down Sandpiper Crescent in Winkler, today. All proceeds will go to CancerCare Manitoba.
With files from Ty Hildebrand