OLDS – The fourth annual radiothon, held May 15 to raise money for Kirsten’s Place, the emergency shelter in Olds, garnered more than $92,000, just shy of organizers’ $100,000 goal.
But money is still coming in, says Merle Dickie, of Royal LePage Wildrose Realty, who organized the event along with Vista Radio (formerly CAB-K Broadcasting).
Dickie says money raised this year is earmarked for things like fencing, security and lighting for the shelter, currently under construction on a piece of town-owned property at 50th Avenue and 54th Street in Olds.
The shelter, expected to be completed by November or December, received its name in tribute to Kirsten Gardner, who was killed during domestic violence in Bowden in March 2021.
Ross Arran McInnes, 30, who had an on again, off-again releationship with Gardner, admitted to strangling a 25-year-old mother of two to death.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder before Justice Jim Eamon in Court of King’s Bench Calgary on Monday, May 13.
Currently, there is no emergency shelter in the area, so those fleeing domestic violence have had to be referred to shelters elsewhere in the province - including in Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House - far away from friends, family and schools for their children.
Construction of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society’s (MVESS) emergency shelter officially began May 1.
MVESS president Joe Carignan predicts it will be completed this November or December – possibly earlier.
This was the fourth annual radiothon. In 2019, Royal LePage Wildrose Realty also organized a suitcase party to begin raising funds for the shelter.
During an interview with the Albertan, Dickie said last year ‘s radiothon raised about $50,000.
But in the end, $150,600 was raised, thanks to matching donations by the Rotary Club of Olds and local resident Jim Thompson.
Dickie was asked how he felt about the amount of money raised Wednesday and the potential to hit the $100,000 mark again.
“Oh, I'm ecstatic to be honest with you,” he said.
The shelter is being constructed on will require lots of fencing and security, he said.
“It's got to be done,” Dickie said. “That's the sad part about it. You can't open it up without having the security there because of what you know because of what it is.”
