The Tawatinaw Valley Freeriders are joining up with the Zebra Child Protection Centre and three other ski clubs for the Zeetour Charity Raffle.
The proceeds from the raffle will be split evenly among the Tawatinaw Valley Freeriders, Evolution Freestyle, Zebra Child Protection Centre, Edmonton Ski Club, and Edmonton Freestyle Ski Club.
“The thing that brings all of them together is a focus on kids and wanting to help them and wanting to help kids achieve their dreams,” said Toni Siegle, past president of the Tawatinaw Valley Freeriders.
The raffle is the first fundraising effort for the association, who are raffling off a $15,000 grand prize, as well as trips, cash and discounts.
Zeetour came together when Evolution Freestyle Resort, a freestyle training facility south of Tawatinaw, approached the Zebra Child Protection Centre.
“In previous years, they had a done a raffle for us and they had brought the opportunity to us as a really great fundraising opportunity to raise programs, not only for their child-focused programs but for the Zebra Child Protection Centre as well,” said Lauren Andrews, communications for the centre.
Staff from the Zebra Child Protection Centre then came out to Evolution Freestyle to work with the kids in their conditioning and training programs.
“It’s nice for people from Zebra Child Protection Centre to get to be out in an environment where they’re working with kids that haven’t been victimized, that are in nice situations, and it’s kind of a refreshing situation for them,” Siegle added.
Through all those connections, five non-profit organizations formed an association that would get all the groups together to combine their volunteer and fundraising efforts.
Siegle said they plan to use their proceeds to keep costs down for participants at their club. The money will also be spent on professional development for coaches, accessibility to year-round training, and enhancing training equipment.
“Another thing that’s coming out of us forming this collective group to do fundraising is that Zebra is always looking for opportunities to get their name out there to more members of the public,” she said.
The Zebra Child Protection Centre is a multi-disciplinary team made up of the Edmonton Police Service, the RCMP, Child and Family Services, and off-site medical and mental screening professionals that respond to allegations of child abuse and work with that child through the process of disclosure, investigation, prosecution and healing.
The RCMP bring files that happen in Northern Alberta, like in Westlock, to the Zebra Child Protection Centre so that children have access to the same supports, regardless of their location.
“If their case does make it to the criminal justice system, we will send a child advocate to sit with them when they’re testifying, and we have a dog program called the Very Important Paws program, so we have three support dogs on site to not only sit with them throughout their forensic interview, but they can go on stands now with those children as they’re testifying against the accused,” Andrews explained.
Their proceeds from the raffle will help support these programs as well as other child support services, like the trauma referral program, backpack program and Hope’s Toy Closet.
The Freeriders will be selling tickets Jan. 27 from 2 p.m.-8 p.m. at Sobeys and at the Boston Pizza Cup Feb. 8-12. Tickets can also be purchased on the Zeetour website.
The draw takes place Mar. 4 with plans for a big event at the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton.
