It’s where Mya underwent her radiation treatments. She and
Tricia stayed at the House for approximately 50 days (January
through March) in 2018.
Some $113,000 was raised at the convention, a total that more
than doubled the previous high raised at the auction.
“Something really special happened that night,” Craig said. “It was
a team effort. The members of the Association, they blew it out of
the water. They looked so classy to offer that level of support.”
Mya, of course, made two Christmas wreaths for the auction.
They sold for $400.
Several items sold for more than twice their original price, includ-ing
an iPad that was bought and donated back to the auction before
it sold for a second time.
When the auction concluded, the total money raised sat at
$103,000. One contractor said he was so moved by what happened
that he donated an additional $10,000.
“The response was unbelievable,” Craig said. “We had set a per-sonal
goal and we were hoping to hit $50,000. We thought that
would be a huge success.”
The Slobodian family, in turn, donated the money to the Ronald
McDonald House, which had three representatives in attendance.
“It meant so much for us to be able to give back to a place that we
love,” Tricia said. “You get to know everyone there like they’re a part
of your family.”
“We were in awe of the generosity of the members of the asso-ciation,”
said Karen Linsley, Fund Development Coordinator with
the Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan, adding it was
one of the largest third-party fundraising donations the House ev-er
received.
Mya and Tricia moved in to the Ronald McDonald House in
Saskatoon nearly one year ago on Jan. 25, 2018. Immediately, they
felt a sense of home thanks to the warm and caring volunteers and
other guests.
“The staff and the volunteers are unbelievable. They are special
people,” Tricia said. “All of the jewels of the province seem to work
there. We never had one negative moment while we were there.
“There are people there who know when to say something, they
know what to say and they know when it’s not a time to say anything
at all. There are a lot of ups and downs and a lot of support.
“It opened us to a whole other world that we didn’t know about
until we became a cancer family.”
The House is within walking distance to the hospital where Mya
underwent her daily treatments. Some days were easier to cope with
than others. The same can be said for Mya’s older sister Blakeney, 17.
FEATURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHCA
“It meant so much for us to be able
to give back to a place that we
love. You get to know everyone
there Ronald McDonald House
like they’re a part of your family.”
– Tricia Slobodian
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