Callie and her new suit. Photo submitted by Ursula Roberts.
A Prince Albert woman has started a fundraising campaign for the purchase of outerwear tailored to the needs of young people in wheelchairs.
Ursula Roberts has a daughter with cerebral palsy who is confined to a wheelchair, and started a Facebook campaign to fundraise the purchase of products through the Koolway Company in Ontario. The company specializes in jackets, blankets, boots and other accessories to those who have mobility issues and require a wheelchair to get around.
Before placing an order, Roberts got a call from Koolway saying an anonymous donor had seen her post about fundraising, called the company headquarters in Whitby, ON and paid for her daughter Callie’s new outfit, which costs roughly $650.
She says she was shocked when Koolway told her of the good Samaritan and had to pull her car over to catch her breath.
That’s when she decided to pay it forward and help out two other First Nations children, Cregan Custer in Pelican Narrows and Lexi Merasty in Prince Albert, who have similar mobility issues to her daughter.
Roberts is originally from Stanley Mission and their family moved to Prince Albert to be closer to services for their daughter.
Now, Roberts said the fundraiser “is something her family wants to do to help out others. Other families don’t have the money to buy these outfits because they are on social assistance or lower incomes.”
She said many people with special needs don’t know about outerwear like what Koolway makes, and it’s especially important in the northern climate.
The fundraising includes a prize raffle, which they hope will raise enough for Koolway outfits for the two children, and they have started a bottle drive as well.
If all goes well, Roberts said she may look at continuing to raise money for more children and people with special needs.
If you are interested in helping out the Robert’s fundraiser, you can contact Ursula Roberts via email at ursula_roberts@hotmail.com.