From Amy Gardner, Executive Director of the Red Deer Safety City Society

Safety City Receives Major Donations

When the Coronavirus hit Alberta, its negative impact on local businesses was considerable.  Many have not been able to reopen their doors.  Countless others have been struggling and trying their best to survive through the hardest times they have ever witnessed.  One of the hardest hit groups is Not-for-Profits.  Red Deer Safety City Society, a local non-profit, has been serving Red Deer and all of Central Alberta for the last 20 years.  Each year their programs touch the lives of around 3,800 children.  Staff, parent volunteers and teachers from numerous school divisions each spring and fall help run fun, safety-oriented courses.  In addition, Safety City operates summer camps in July and August.

Safety City relies heavily on donations as well as revenue generated through the running of their safety programs.  As a result of the pandemic considerable revenue was lost from field trips being cancelled during spring and fall.  The new safety guidelines, restricting the number of children and families that could participate in summer camps, caused the organization to take another financial hit.  Those losses caused considerable concern.  Could Safety City make it through another year?  The Executive Director, Amy Gardner, reached out to two long time supporters: The Kiwanis Club of Red Deer and Red Deer Twilight Homes Foundation.  The Red Deer Kiwanis Club was a founding member of the Red Deer Safety City Society.  Knowing the importance of the work done at Safety City, the Kiwanis Club of Red Deer and the Red Deer Twilight Homes Foundation got together to make two large donations to the Society in order to preserve the organization.

On January 15, 2021, key members from Red Deer Twilight Homes Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Red Deer presented the Executive Director, Amy Gardner, and the Board President, Kristina Sveinson of the Red Deer Safety City Society, with donations totalling $25,000.  This money will enable Red Deer Safety City Society to continue offering their summer camps, field trips and birthday parties, when government rules permit.  These generous donations have allowed the Red Deer Safety City Society to remain a constant in our great city.