With the holidays just around the corner, the spirit of giving is alive and well in southeast Saskatchewan. A brand-new online auction raising funds for Teddy Bears Anonymous is set to take place in December, but donations for this online auction are only accepted until the end of this month.
Teddy Bears Anonymous is a non-profit 100% volunteer-run organization, in partnership with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, which fundraises to purchase cello-sealed teddy bears for children in hospitals and EMS services here in Saskatchewan. The teddy bears are cello sealed so they’re 100% sterile and can be taken into operating rooms to help provide comfort during a scary time.
Linda Machniak from Rocanville, SK has been volunteering with Teddy Bears Anonymous for over a year now but was inspired to do more with the rural towns in Saskatchewan who maybe can’t make it to a fundraiser in the bigger cities.
"There's lots of Teddy Bears Anonymous fundraisers in the cities, and I just thought it would be nice to have something in the rural areas because the teddy bears are in all the hospitals and ambulances and you know, it's not just the cities. So, I thought it would be nice if we could support and give back.”
She’s started this charity online auction with the hopes of getting people from southeast Saskatchewan and rural areas to donate their handmade items for the online auction. This helps showcase the amazing talent that rural artists have and goes towards an amazing cause.
“We're trying to showcase the creativity in our communities,” Machniak says. “You've got fantastic painters and people who do craft woodworking and jewelry. You name it anything handmade, homemade. Baking and cabbage rolls, anything handmade, homemade is what we're looking for."
If you don’t have anything homemade to make and donate for the auction, cash donations are accepted at any Saskatchewan Conexus bank or by e-transfer at seruraltba@gmail.com. There is also an online donation website that is legitimate, and all proceeds go towards Teddy Bears Anonymous
Also, make sure to bid in the online auction once it becomes available on December 9th running through December 16th. No website has been made yet for the online auction, but once it has, they will be advertising it throughout Facebook or on their website at www.teddybearsanonymous.ca