MOOSE JAW — Residents can start making a difference long before this year’s TeleMiracle campaign kicks off thanks to an ongoing partnership with SARCAN Recycling and its “Drop & Go” program.
TeleMiracle 49 is scheduled to take place at the Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, Sask., including Shailynn Taylor and Lisa Franks from Moose Jaw, with the 20-hour live telethon kicking off at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 1, and concluding at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Mar. 2.
“TeleMiracle is SARCAN Recycling’s charity of choice,” said Jane Hubbard-Richards, the communication and culture co-ordinator at SARCAN. “For roughly 20 years we’ve partnered with them… (by) selling Helping Hands, promoting the telethon, and just supporting them in any way that we can.
“As part of that support, we partner with them every year to try and build Saskatchewan’s biggest bottle drive through container donations.”
SARCAN is accepting deposit beverage containers for the campaign, and other recyclables including paint, electronics, batteries, flexible plastic packaging, and non-deposit glass won’t be included but can still be recycled as per normal.
All proceeds from the Drop & Go campaign will be forwarded to TeleMiracle 49.
“The Kinsmen Foundation board, all year in the background, we are reviewing applications and granting gifts to the people of Saskatchewan,” said Danika Dinko, executive director of the Kinsmen Foundation.
“These applicants are looking for medical equipment, assistance with medical travel, and sometimes specialized medical devices,” she said. “You might be going for a transplant out of province, you might have to travel for cancer… or you might just need a walker or scooter. All the money raised… (goes) back to the people of Saskatchewan.”
Last year, SARCAN handed TeleMiracle a cheque for $116,411 — it’s best year to date — which was a major improvement from the $79,000 donated in 2023. SARCAN always hopes to raise as much as possible, but hopes to keep this year’s total trending above the $100,000 mark.
“We are so grateful to SARCAN for one, their support, and two, their partnership,” Dinko said on behalf of the Kinsmen Foundation. “They’re sort of a group of unsung heroes in the background that are always promoting TeleMiracle.”
SARCAN maintains TeleMiracle as its preferred charity as both organizations share a similar vision.
“They (TeleMiracle) do a lot of work supporting people experiencing disability in the province, ensuring their quality of life, and (reminding them) that they’re a valued and included member of our communities. That’s one of SARCAN’s main goals as well,” Hubbard-Richards explained.
“We’ve seen a lot of our customers who come in have benefitted from TeleMiracle as well, and so from our employees to our customers, to just everyone in Saskatchewan, we want to see them succeed and just have the best quality of life possible.”
SARCAN’s Drop & Go program has been “a game changer,” Hubbard-Richards said.
“We have over 100,000 accounts now throughout the province (and) it saves so much time. You can be in and out of the depot in under three minutes… It’s a great option for those on the go.”
Drop & Go is simple: create an account online using your name, email address, and phone number, then select your refund method that includes an e-transfer option for auto-deposit payments. The next time you visit a SARCAN depot, log in at the Drop & Go kiosk, print your tags, place them on your bags, and simply drop them off. The team at SARCAN will then count the items and automatically issue a payment.
If you have a sports team, club, or non-profit organization, you can also sign up for SARCAN’s Drop & Go program to collect donations in the same manner as TeleMiracle.
Anyone can sign up for a Drop & Go account by visiting MyDropAndGo.ca.
SARCAN Moose Jaw is located at 52 Highland Road and can be reached at 306-692-4285. For more information visit Sarcan.ca or ‘SARCAN Recycling’ on Facebook.
For more information about TeleMiracle 49 visit TeleMiracle.com.
UPDATE: As of Feb. 4, SARCAN Recycling announced that it has raised $5,933 so far for TeleMiracle 49.
