The two-week-long SaskAbilities Walk, Wheel, Run event wrapped up yesterday with the announcement of $71,280.85 raised in support of SaskAbilities programs and services.

Replacing the traditional AbilityBowl due to the effect of COVID-19, the money was short of the roughly $100,000 dollars that were raised last year. but organizers consider it a success regardless, both for how it shows how the community spirit of the Ability Bowl is alive and well and in how getting more people involved in various activities raised the awareness around the city.

Candace Toma is the community relations coordinator with SaskAbilities in Swift Current.

"We were absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of support we received. I know that it's been a strange year for everybody but we were so overjoyed with how much the community, the region really got into the spirit of Ability Bowl even though it came in a new form this year."

She added that one of the aspects of a virtual event is that the costs can drop from holding a physical event, meaning that every dollar spent could potentially go just that little bit farther.

Madison Lawrence, a local wheelchair racer, was this year's top fundraiser, bringing in $2,335 dollars by raising one dollar for every meter she raced around the track at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School.

That track saw more action as the Swift Current Municipal RCMP members took to the oval the next day in full gear to raise $1100.

Regional Director Kimi Duzan was pleased with how the community came together to embrace this new form of the Ability Bowl.

"Like our services to youth and adults experiencing disability, Ability Bowl was refreshed and grew to involve new and different types of events, sponsors, participants, in new and exciting ways with the support and encouragement from many across the southwest and SaskAbilities is grateful for the continued support.”

The top-ten fundraisers for this years event were:

  • Madison Lawrence
  • Dorothy Quebec
  • Mailyn Janette Leyeza
  • Hayden Linsley
  • Jarrod Schellenberg
  • Avery Andres
  • Carley Martinson
  • Todd Vallee
  • Aaron Matthews

With this year's event pushed back to September rather than its traditional April start, Toma highlighted one of the positives in that they can move right into planning for next year's event with their feet still on the gas, so-to-speak.

"I guess the good thing is that we're already in that frame of mind. So the planning does start right away for what that's going to look like next year for SaskAbilities Swift Current. So it's still a little too early to say exactly how next year's going to look, I think that's true for everyone. But certainly, those planning stages are well underway at this point and we'll be making some exciting announcements here in the coming months."

She admits, however, that a few days off for organizers, planners and participants is very well deserved.

In the meantime, donations are still being accepted online at www.abilitybowl.ca or my cheque through mail or at the local SaskAbilities Swift Current branch.