(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/Nathaniel Leigh)

By Nathaniel Leigh

Community

St. Kateri Catholic School awarded Ryan Wagner Memorial banner

Oct 30, 2023 | 2:19 PM

The 3D Children’s Society has presented an award to St. Kateri Catholic School for fundraising efforts to support students with medical concerns.

St. Kateri was awarded the Ryan Wagner Memorial banner Monday morning for its participation in the 3D charity hockey and soccer tournament held in June.

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)

Executive director Darren Foley says since the tournaments began several years ago, the 3D Children’s Society has raised roughly $1.6 million dollars.

“The tournaments started because one kid needed some help, and then the next year the kids in the tournament said ‘Can we do this again?’ and we said ‘Sure we can do this again.'” Foley says. “And now there were three kids, and then five kids needed some help, and then ten, then twenty, and we went ‘Boy we need to raise more money!'”

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(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/Nathaniel Leigh)

The banner was named in honor of Ryan Wager, a young man born with serious medical concerns who passed away in 2016.

Ryan’s mother Donna spoke to the assembled St. Kateri students to share Ryan’s story and thank them for raising funds for the 3D Children’s Society.

“Ryan was a medically challenged child his whole life. His illness did not fall into the category of recognizable diseases so we had minimal financial support,” Donna says.

“The 3D Children’s Charity helped us to live a more normal family life, leaving amazing family memories because of the charity and incredible students like yourselves who worked so hard to raise funds in the tournaments.”

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)

The award ceremony was attended by several local dignitaries, with Grande Prairie Wapiti MLA Ron Wiebe offering his congratulations from a letter read before the assembled students.

“Thank you for all your efforts in the tournament and all your outstanding fundraising efforts to support students in our area who deal with serious medical concerns,” the letter says.

“I also want to thank the 3D Children’s Society and the schools that participated in the tournament. Together, you have all worked to create a community that teaches our students compassion, kindness and increases their awareness of the struggles that many families with health issues face.”

Other attending dignitaries included members from Grande Prairie City Council and representatives from three Grande Prairie school boards.

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)

(Photo Credit: Everything GP Staff/ Nathaniel Leigh)