It’s likely that most members of the Pembina Valley (and even those from beyond it) have heard of or even benefitted from the work that the Katie Cares charity does in the community. For the past decade, the Katie Cares Fashion Show has been the charity’s main fundraiser to support its operations, but now, there will be a new addition to the tradition with an online auction.
“Darryl Enns from Grunthal Auction Service called me one day out of the blue and said [he] wanted to meet with [me],” says Ruth Reimer, CEO and Key Spokesperson for Katie Cares. “We met and I listened, and I thought, ‘okay, I've never done something like this before.’ It was brand new to me, and so we as a board did our homework, checked it out, and finally in January of this year, we decided that we were going to do this auction.”
The online auction begins at 8 a.m. on September 21st and ends with the Katie Cares Fashion Show on September 28th at 8 p.m.
“It's hard not to get excited about it,” says Reimer. “I loved working with [Grunthal Auction Service], and we hope to do this as an ongoing thing. We'll see how this year goes, but it looks promising.”
The auction will be hybrid. Those attending the Katie Cares Fashion Show will have the chance to bid on the items in person, but anyone is free to take part in the auction online. Reimer says that because the fashion show may be too far for supporters to reach (especially for the visiting families of ill loved ones in Boundary Trails Health Centre who have stayed at the charity’s Katie’s Cottage), the online auction provides them with an opportunity to get involved from anywhere.
“Katie Cares serves anyone across Manitoba. In fact, anyone across Canada, . . . but especially the Manitobans,” says Reimer. “They want to be able to give back because they've stayed with us [at Katie’s Cottage]. They've really enjoyed being with us because it was close to the hospital.”
Even though the auction only opens on September 21st, there are already items on the site for those who would like to see what’s available. What’s there now is not everything, though. Items will continue to be added until the auction is underway on the 21st.
“There are so many beautiful auction items to bid on,” says Reimer.
One of the items is a play kitchen built by Elias Woodwork. The small stature of the kitchen does not prevent it from having well-crafted features — it will come complete with a fridge, drawers, dishwasher, cabinet, and accessories such as towels and dishes. The retail value of the mini kitchen is $2,800.
“It’s beautifully made,” Reimer says.
There are also two 350-pound live weight pigs up for auction valued at $800 each donated by Unrau Pork Company (Reimer says that the pork will be packaged by Banman Meats and Southern Meats), a 25 kg bag of prairie green turf seed from Shamrock Seed, and Air Canada plane tickets to any of the destinations it services. The tickets also come with $1,500 in cash for travel.
Fishing enthusiasts will be pleased to see that there is also a three-day fly-out fishing trip. The trip, which has been donated by Jackson’s Lodge & Adventure Air, includes airfare, a stay at a cabin, and a boat rental along with fuel. The trip is valued at $5,895 USD.
“I think there's something for everyone, and I'm really proud of what has come in,” says Reimer.
For anyone interested in becoming involved with the auction as a donor, Katie Cares is still accepting items. Any donation is welcome.
“We don't say, ‘oh, I want this or we want that,’” she says. “It's from the heart, so we want to keep it that way and let them donate what they would like to.”
Interested donors are invited to call Reimer at 204-362-1173 or Darryl Enns of Grunthal Auction Service at 204-216-0931.
The funds collected from the online auction (and the Katie Cares Fashion Show) will go back into the community by helping the Katie Cares Charity spread comfort and care to those in need.
“We are truly humbled and grateful for the fact that people have gotten behind what Kaitlyn saw. She had a vision. She had a dream, and that dream has flourished into what is today Katie's cottage,” says Reimer, who is also Kaitlyn’s mother. “The charity has grown tremendously, and it is not forgotten who has helped us — the donors, the sponsors, they have been instrumental in making this dream come to reality.”
Reimer is grateful for the community overall, but especially the exceedingly generous Pembina Valley.
“Kaitlyn was from here. She was proud to be part of the Pembina Valley region, as is my family, and we are proud to be able to give back,” she says. “An auction like this . . . would not happen without the generosity of the community.”
To see the items available in the auction and their descriptions ahead of bidding, visit the auction site here.
~With files from Ty Hildebrand~