The community of Estevan came together once again in a powerful show of support for a little girl with a big goal, to walk on her own.
The latest fundraiser for the “Help Aubrey Walk” campaign brought in another wave of generosity, with a full house at the Estevan Church of God for a community BBQ on Friday night, followed by a pancake breakfast the next morning. The family-friendly events filled the space with food, laughter, and a shared sense of purpose, as people of all ages came out to help raise funds for Aubrey Dyck’s upcoming medical journey.
“Fundraising has been amazing,” said Aubrey’s grandmother, Annette Dyck. “From our online auction to the bake sale and now this. The city has just come through in every event. I know we have a big total and we're not there yet, but we are getting closer. The fundraisers we have had, it's been amazing. People have been so generous, and people we don't even know. So it's been amazing.”
The emotional toll of the past few years hasn’t been easy on the family. Aubrey, now four, was diagnosed with a condition that affects her mobility, and her family has been navigating the healthcare system to get her the support she needs.
“When we started actually the GoFundMe, it really hit. And I was really emotional,” Dyck explained. “Even just setting up here [for the BBQ Friday night], I looked at the bulletin board that Kim made of Aubrey. It does break your heart. But we know we have to go through that to get to where we need to be for her. It's just a process.”
As the goal draws nearer, the weight of what lies ahead is being felt, but so is hope.
“Excited and nervous. Anxious. A little bit of everything,” Dyck said. “Because then it’s like, this is real, and this is going to happen. All sorts of emotions.”
The event saw a steady stream of people throughout, filling the room with energy and, according to Aubrey’s dad, Tanner Dyck, even causing a noticeable rise in temperature.
“Well, we're an hour and a half in and it has probably been triple what I expected to see,” he said. “It's been really good. The community support has been mind-blowing. The temperature in here—the AC is on right now—and the temperature's went up easily 5 to 6 degrees. Which is a good thing. Thankfully, we're not outside in the nasty heat. But it's packed. People are enjoying it. Kids are having fun.”
The Estevan Church of God donated its space for the fundraiser, making both events possible.
“They've been great. We found out that we would have the space for 24 hours. We told them, ‘Hey, we're thinking about adding on an event for the morning. If our insurance covers 24 hours,’ they said, ‘Absolutely. You guys do what you gotta do. We're donating the space, and all you gotta do is clean up.’ And we have lots of volunteers to help. It'll be a quick tear-down and clean-up, and get ready for pancake breakfast.”
With surgery scheduled for the fall, it’s a mix of nerves and gratitude for the Dyck family.
“It's definitely both, anxiety and excitement,” said Tanner. “We're not far off from the date now come fall. Time seems to be a blur and a standstill all at the same time. But it makes it easier because she's always happy. Always. Even when she's in trouble. She is the happiest kid you've ever seen. She walks on her knees. She doesn't walk on her feet, and you will have a hard time catching her on her knees.”
Tanner had one final message for everyone who showed up, donated, or helped in any way.
“I want to thank everybody that came out. And all of your money and your support goes to a great cause—helping Aubrey walk and with her medical costs. We can't say thank you enough.”
Together, the Family Fun Night BBQ and Pancake Breakfast raised $4,496.00, with the Mini Silent Auction adding another $725.00 toward helping Aubrey walk—showing once again how the Estevan community comes together when it matters most.