In total, 67 projects were approved for funding in Saskatchewan. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Pandemic Assistance

Six projects approved in tri-communities through $1 million Cameco COVID-19 relief fund

May 1, 2020 | 1:58 PM

Six organizations from the tri-communities have received donations from the Cameco COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Recipients of funding in the tri-communities include Children North Family Resource Centre, Kikinahk Friendship Centre, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Northlands College Scholarship Foundation, NorthSask Special Needs and Men of the North. Those recipients are part of 67 community projects Cameco is supporting through its $1 million relief fund.

“At the beginning, I was really doubting myself in putting the funding letter in because I knew I was going to be competing against some of the big organizations,” said Men of the North Founder Christopher Merasty. “I’m really happy that I did.”

Men of the North received $5,000 through the fund, which Merasty said would be used towards recreational activities for youth in the region. He plans on purchasing items such as board games, puzzles, activity sets, art supplies and more. As the organization’s biggest donation to date, Merasty noted he’s thankful for Cameco and the company’s support.

Children North Family Resource Centre Executive Director Diana Lapworth explained the centre was the recipient of a $4,000 donation. She said the money will be used for purchasing tablets, so specialists will still be able to provide therapy to clients online. Such work is typically done at the centre’s pediatric therapy room, which has been closed in effort to halt the spread of COVID-19.

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“We would not be able to do this without their help,” Lapworth said. “This made things so much easier. A lot of families have phones or limited Internet access or just not the ability to do this at all. Having these tablets that have 3G capability with their own Internet, then we can just drop them off at the house, the family would use them, then we pick them up and take them back to the office.”

In total, 40 Saskatchewan communities from Saskatoon to the province’s Far North had organizations approved for funding. Cameco also donated personal protective equipment for northern Saskatchewan communities and First Nations including 10,000 masks, 7,000 pairs of gloves and 7,000 litres of hand sanitizer.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno