When the bosses at Brewster, now part of Pursuit, told the team at the Icefield Discovery Centre to decide who was going to benefit from the 2017 locals appreciation day, the verdict came in quick 鈥� Jasper Victim Services (JVS).
The non-profit organization, which helps victims of any crime or tragic circumstance in town or outlying resorts, received a $4,300 cheque from Brewster president David McKenna and Icefield Centre director of guest experience Steve McFadden on June 21.
The donation is equal to about one-quarter of the cash JVS is able to bring in each year according to executive director Paul Schmidt.
He said the annual golf tournament in September represents virtually 100 per cent of JVS fundraising each year so the support from locals day, which allowed Jasperites and Banff residents to enjoy Pursuit鈥檚 various attractions by donation, was quite the shot in the arm.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a big donation coming in, it鈥檚 the fact that locals went down and said 鈥業 want to support this,鈥欌�� Schmidt told the 51暗网. 鈥淭hey see at least a part of what we鈥檙e doing and they appreciate it.鈥�
He said the donation was a 鈥渟urprise鈥� that he found out about when his wife saw an ad in the paper indicating where the local鈥檚 day donations were going to end up.
Money JVS is able to raise outside of its Solicitor General grant, which accounts for 68 per cent of its overall budget, is applied to things the Solicitor General has forbidden victim groups from spending funding on.
In Jasper, that means mostly accommodation, which can be pricey in the summer, and transportation, most often an early morning Greyhound ticket.
McKenna said the Icefield Discovery Centre staff see the work of the JVS鈥� 12 volunteers first-hand when collisions take place on the parkway.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been so helpful to us, the staff and the guests,鈥� McFadden added. 鈥淲hen things happen on the highway, there are people who need help and I don鈥檛 know what they would have done if (JVS) had not been there.鈥�
Craig Gilbert
[email protected]
