REGINA - The City of Regina has announced that $14,496 was raised in its Jingle Bus campaign, and it is going to a worthwhile organization helping underprivileged youth.
That amount was raised by residents who rode on Regina Transit buses Dec. 9 and 11, and is being donated to Growing Young Movers. That is a local non-profit dedicated to enhancing social, emotional and physical well-being of children and youth.
The organization is based out of North Central Regina, and employs senior youth from Scott Collegiate as high school mentors to work with youth after school.
It allows those youth leaders to gain work and leadership skills while helping be a role model for younger children including those from marginalized backgrounds.
Brian Lewis, Executive Director of Growing Young Movers, was emotional when he accepted the cheque at the cheque presentation on Tuesday at mâmawêyatitân centre.
What made him emotional, he told reporters, was seeing all the young people there who were part of it.
The money “allows us to continue doing what we’re doing and have a little more stability of a nonprofit,” Lewis said. “Of course, you’re always looking for those funds because the last thing we ever want to do is put back on what we’ve already established, so it’s always a grind, but this is a huge, huge help for our work, for sure.“
This has been the seventh Jingle Bus campaign, which has run every year except for the 2020 pandemic year. According to Brad Bells, Director of Regina Transit, the Jingle Bus program allows riders to donate their fare to a worthwhile charity, with different charities being chosen every year.
GYM was chosen for 2022 “as part of reconciliation and part of giving back to the community. We’re hearing what they do for the city of Regina, we think it’s great they got a little bit of a funding source that can help out their program and help the Scott Collegiate students be mentors for the youth in North Central.”
“I am not surprised by the community of Regina, I think when the call comes to them they answer, they answer always,” said Mayor Sandra Masters at the presentation Tuesday. “I think what’s important in some respects of choosing GYM this year is exposure of the really good work that’s happening in our community.”
