500 Club raises more than $65,000 for Saskatchewan charities

Are you still deciding what to do with your $500 affordability cheque?

Many of them are going to charity through the “500 Club,” a pledge campaign that encourages people to donate their cheques to local non-profits. The group has received $67,675 in pledges since its launch, according to co-founder Nicole Berg.

Berg said the organizers attempted to close the campaign on Dec. 4 after it was active for six weeks, but the thousands still being pledged were a sign that the campaign needed to continue.

“People clearly still want to take part. We absolutely don’t want to exclude anyone,” Berg said. “As long as people are receiving their cheques and we’ve still got pledges coming in, we will keep it open.”

Berg said she expects the campaign to fully close around Christmas.

The goal of the campaign, she said, was to encourage people to use the windfall cheques to give back to their communities. Most of the pledged donations have been for the full $500, she noted, though it’s not a requirement.

So far, Berg said, 136 people across Saskatchewan have come forward to pledge some or all of their affordability cheques. The group has seen representation from Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and the Battlefords, with some donations earmarked for charities in Arcola, Lumsden, Melfort, Lashburn, Borden and Humboldt.

To date, 88 separate organizations have received pledges. Berg said organizers have seen a lot of support for food banks across the province, and that the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre alone has received more than $10,000 in pledges.

“We’re thrilled that people are choosing to support the food banks,” Berg said.

Laurie O’Connor, the Saskatoon Food Bank’s executive director, said it’s heartwarming to see the Saskatoon community come together for a cause they care about.

“It speaks volumes,” she said.

O’Connor said SFBLC will use the donated money to help its Emergency Food Hamper Program, which provides two to three days of emergency food for individuals in need in the Saskatoon area. The hampers usually contain items such as whole grain pasta, cereal, frozen meat, coffee and peanut butter.

O’Connor says the donations will go a long way toward ensuring the food bank can provide nutritious food for the hampers.

Both Berg and O’Connor said they were thankful for the people who used their affordability cheques to give back to those with the greatest need.