Darlene May, president of the Kindersley Royal Purple lodge, gives donations to three groups at the Brain Blitz fundraiser on Nov. 17 at the Kindersley Legion Hall. Left to right, Danielle Faubert representing Kindersley Special Olympics, Tanis Pendree, a substitute teacher representing Westberry Elementary School, May, and Glenda James, executive director for the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
A recent event has helped the Saskatchewan Royal Purple Association to fulfil part of its commitment to the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association.
The Kindersley Royal Purple and Saskatchewan Royal Purple Association teamed up to present the Brain Blitz dinner and dance fundraiser on Nov. 17 at the Legion Hall in Kindersley. The event helped to raise money for the brain injury association and the Kindersley Royal Purple.
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Approximately 50 people attended the fundraiser. The event included a catered supper, a short program, a silent auction, guest speakers and live entertainment. Poor Bill, a musical duo from Lloydminster, provided the entertainment.
Sandi Lougheed, chairperson for the Saskatchewan Royal Purple Association’s charity partnership committee, served as the host for the evening. Lougheed serves as a board member for the provincial association. She told people the Saskatchewan Royal Purple has been a partner of the brain injury association for five years.
The biggest single project for the Saskatchewan Royal Purple is a commitment to raise $25,000 for the brain injury association in 2018, the host said. Lougheed thanked people who were bidding on silent auction items, along with businesses and individuals for their donations.
She also thanked Darlene May, current president of the Kindersley Royal Purple, for all of her efforts to help with the event. After people enjoyed the supper, Lougheed told the story about how the Saskatchewan Royal Purple became involved with the brain injury association.
Lougheed said the Royal Purple contacted the brain injury association to ask Glenda James, the association’s executive director, if the association would like to have a group from the province as a partner to help raise funds and awareness.
James addressed the crowd at the event, and she thanked everyone for helping to support the Royal Purple and the brain injury association. She referred to the partnership and how it is helping the association in a big way.
“It certainly has been a wonderful five years that we’ve been partnering with the Saskatchewan Royal Purple,” she said, recognizing the importance of having a partner in the province. “They’ve made all the difference in the world to us.”
The executive director said more than 2,500 people in Saskatchewan acquire a brain injury each year. A brain injury could last for a week, a month or a season, but sometimes an injury lasts an entire lifetime, she explained. The biggest group affected by brain injuries are people who are 15-25 years old.
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