SaskAbilities was handed a whopping $2,500 on Friday; the result of an event hosted by three businesses earlier in the summer.  

The Uptown Block Party was the first of its kind, and featured a variety of games, delicious food, and a 50/50 draw. Original Joe’s, Urban Cellars, and Shoppers Drug Mart joined forces to host the cookout in their shared parking lot in July. 

Wendy Johnson, manager of the liquor store, said the idea had been floating around between the three of them for years prior to its inception.  

“We got talking with Tyler from Original Joe's, and a little bit to Paul from Shoppers, and we decided you know, why not plan something for our area?” she explained. “Everything's always kind of downtown or at the mall, and we thought, we have a wonderful block, we have great customers. Why not team up and bring an event to our area?" 

Tyler Wallin, manager of the Swift Current OJ’s location, advocated for SaskAbilities to be the first recipient of their potential tradition. 

The restaurant and the non-profit have worked closely for many years, forming a strong relationship along the way.  

“We work together with SaskAbilities through the partners and employment program,” Wallin said. “We've had some great opportunities to work with some amazing people. And they do awesome work within the community, so we thought they were a great group to partner up with for this.” 

With their Walk, Wheel, Run event just around the corner, set for September 15 through 25, this cheque is a great head start for their fundraising goal. 

Community Relations Coordinator for SaskAbilities, Jenny Dyck, accepted the funds on behalf of the organization. She expressed their gratitude for being chosen.  

“We were just so thrilled to be picked as the recipient of these proceeds,” she said. “Urban Cellars, Shoppers Drug Mart and Original Joe's are just incredible community partners. All the money that they raised for us will be going towards our Walk, Wheel, Run fundraising goal—we have a goal of $83,000, so $2,500 is going to put a big dent in it and we're so, so grateful.” 

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