Kinsmen Club donates $225K to small charities, non-profits

The Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon is used to answering the call for people in need in Saskatchewan.

That need has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to club president Rob Huck.

“We saw that the number of groups who desperately needed support during this crisis was overwhelming, so we decided to do what we do best — serving the community’s greatest need,” Huck said in a news release.

The club was flooded with applications in March and, in the past few weeks, has awarded $225,600 to some 30 charities and not-for-profit groups in Saskatoon and across the province.

Many groups are experiencing budget pressures due to having to cancel fundraising events in April and May. Huck noted many receive little or no government funding.

“All of these groups were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown,” he said. “We as a club have never attempted to support this many groups on this scale within such a short time frame.”

Huck said the club is still accepting applications.