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By Jordan Parker

Grande Prairie Catholic schools get a lift from the Edmonton Oilers

Dec 19, 2017 | 3:00 PM

Northern Alberta has received $410,000 in funding from the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, a record investment for the organization.

Executive Director Natalie Minckler says this is a way to support the community that goes to games for the NHL team.

“We’re very fortunate to have fans from all across northern Alberta who not only support our team, but support our foundation and fundraising efforts,” said Minckler in an interview with EverythingGP.

“Because of that, we feel strongly that when our foundation looks at provincial grants, that we extend beyond the Edmonton metropolitan area.”

Among the funding selections was money for the Grande Prairie & District Catholic School Foundation for their healthy snack program.

Minckler says the board was impressed by their proposal.

“It’s for their snack program, to help feed close to 5,000 kids in the Grande Prairie area. That is significant,” she said.

“There’s nothing more fundamental than providing healthy food and healthy snacks to kids.”

They also funded a school lunch program in Red Deer that would feed 385 students in 32 schools.

“The School Lunch Program in Red Deer feeds 385 of Red Deer’s most vulnerable students across 32 schools, every school day of the year. The lunches are nutritional and contain only the freshest food available and for many of these kids it is their first meal of the day,” said Byron Bradley, The Mustard Seed Foundation Managing Director for Central Alberta in a release.

“On behalf of all the kids who rely on the lunches daily, thank you to the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation for your generous support so we at The Mustard Seed can continue caring for these very important students across our city each and every school day.”

Minckler says the organization is happy to give back.

“We’re fortunate and humbled to have the support of hockey fans and our community, who participate in all kinds of fundraising activities the foundation does,” she said.

“It’s with that help that (we’re allowed) to reinvest that support back into the community.”

 

Other organizations the received help include:

  • Basically Babies
  • Bissell Centre
  • Edmonton Meals on Wheels
  • Hope Mission
  • iHuman Youth Society
  • Leduc & District Food Bank
  • Paralympic Sports Association
  • Young Alberta Book Society
by Jordan Parker