Two charities helping support fire-ravaged Jasper are benefitting from an “unbelievable” $73,150 donation ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, courtesy of the Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation.
The enormous sum was donated by an anonymous donor via a fundraiser called Jump for Jasper, where they contributed $490 for every clear round delivered by riders and their horses on the International Ring during the ‘Masters’ tournament in September, at the Calgary show jumping venue.
The amount, following 148 clear rounds, and including some public offerings, will be split equally between two non-profit organizations making a real difference in the town — the Jasper Food Bank and the Jasper Community Team Society.
Both groups have risen to the task of helping to rebuild and support their community following the devastating forest fires that destroyed much of Jasper this summer.
Megan LeBlanc, chair of the Jasper Food Bank Society, which saw its former home in the hall of the St. Mary & St. George Anglican church destroyed, said her group’s share of the donation, $36,575, would guarantee their supplies would last the winter.
Mom-of-two Megan, who also lost her own home to the fire, said, “This really is a significant amount, it’s unbelievable.
“It’s the equivalent to around what we might get from five grant submissions; it’s enough to last about five months, to get us through the winter.
“Ever since Covid, we’ve seen our numbers rise significantly, with more users coming forward almost every week. Just as that was beginning to lessen, the fire hit us.
“The level of need has been enormous, even though not everyone has been able to return to the town. We are bracing ourselves for a very tough winter ahead and this incredible donation has come at the perfect time, just ahead of Thanksgiving.”
The same amount will go to the Jasper Community Team Society, an important group supporting a number of initiatives that help improve the lives of Jasper citizens.
Terry French, chair of the Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation, said: “We are so happy to contribute to these two charities, which we carefully selected.
“Of course, it’s an enormous credit to our anonymous donor, who sincerely wanted to make a big difference to the welfare of the town following the fire, which saddened us all so much.
“We hope this goes some way in helping those who are rebuilding Jasper, a place so dear to us all.”
The Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation is Spruce Meadows’ charitable arm, set up in 2015 by president and CEO Linda Southern-Heathcott, as a means of formalizing the culture of giving established by her parents, Ron and Margaret Southern, when they opened the venue in 1975.
The Foundation supports a number of grassroots charities in Calgary and across Alberta, with a particular focus on education, health and wellness, amateur and grassroots sport, community, and agriculture.
To learn more about the Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation visit here.