Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

By Tanner Smith

Community

Strathcona Resources makes donation to support sick kids

Dec 13, 2022 | 6:13 PM

The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation accepted a cheque from Strathcona Resources, to support sick kids visiting the hospital over the holidays.

Dale Babiak, vice-president of Strathcona Resources, says with this time of the season, they wanted to provide that extra layer of comfort for not only the sick kids in the hospital but their parents as well.

“The biggest thing for us, is we are really trying to invest in our communities, where our people live and work. This donation started out as an employee initiative that was about raising funds for kids in need, basically for teddy bears, and with exceptional support from the employees, contractors and vendors that worked for us, it exceeded our expectations.”

The total check amount was $84,000, which is arriving just in time as Alberta is seeing a rising influx of kids sick with respiratory illnesses, such as RSV, influenza, and even in some more serious cases pneumonia and bronchitis.

Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

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Babiak says it was important for his employees, contractors, and even vendors that work for the company to support this initiative, as they all live, work and use the hospital in this area.

“Well definitely some of it is going to be for the teddy bears to help provide that comfort for the kids, but I think also the plan is to help fund some of the equipment the hospital and foundation needs and we’re definitely happy to do so.”

With this starting as an employee initiative, the end goal really made Strathcona Resources proud of their employees, and to be operating out of a community with such good people, according to Babiak.

He adds an employee from Strathcona Resources, Steve Walters was vital in the process, starting the whole initiative and driving around with his son to collect donations from other people.

“It’s so important to them (Strathcona Resources employees) and I think we can all make a difference in our communities that we live in, and this is just an example of that, and I want to believe the kids, the families will appreciate that. It’s a small piece we can do for those kids and families that really need that help during this time.”

Strathcona Resources would like to extend their thanks to all the people that donated and helped them raise this money. They hope to continue supporting different initiatives to uplift the community.