Audited financial statements released at the meeting show the United Way had $387,237 in donations and pledges from the community for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, down slightly from the $394,983 the previous year, but as was noted multiple times throughout the meeting, it’s impressive that the decrease was so little due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Way also received $183,531 through special projects revenue, with funding from the federal and provincial governments that was used to help families in the Estevan area during the pandemic. Other United Ways in Canada also received similar funding. The United Way had $293,500 that it turned over to its member agencies last year.
As a part of our Women of Estevan special, the Mercury spoke to Melodye Pierson, Estevan s biggest fan, about her love for the city and the ways she chose to show this love. Melodye s parents met during the Second World War, when her father, born at the Taylorton mine, was overseas. He brought his young wife, who was six months pregnant, from England and they settled in his hometown. Estevan wasn t as developed back then, but the family stayed to make it better for themselves and their children. There wasn t much in Estevan then, and I always said to (my mom), I m surprised you didn t get back on the train. And, and she said, I loved him. It couldn t be any simpler than that, recalled Melodye.
Eight restaurants took part in the contest, which garnered 467 votes from 391 people. In addition to trophies, each prize came with $200 to be awarded to a charity of the restaurant s choice. Tower Café has chosen United Way Estevan and the Estevan Public Youth Centre, while Fired Up Grill will donating to the Estevan Family Resource Centre. Jeannette Biberdorf from Frobisher, who ate at Humpty s Restaurant, won a $500 gift card from Shop Estevan. The winner of the prize was randomly chosen from the pool of voters. Other competing restaurants were The Black Grasshopper, Domino’s Pizza, Michael’s Coffee Shop and Bakery, Pinocchio Pizza and Red Swan Pizza.
The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are now being administered in Estevan, and the manager of Creighton Lodge is impressed with the process. Among those to receive the vaccine thus far were . . .
Creighton Lodge manager Shelly Veroba said the clinic, which was held at the Estevan Church of God, was very well run, from the support workers to the registered nurses. “Everybody just knew their positions. They knew their role and they were very, very good with the seniors. They made sure when we first walked in, they had a screening centre set up, so everybody had to stop in there,” Veroba told the Mercury. When they walked in, everybody had to stop, sanitize their hands, answer pre-screening questions, and have their temperature taken. After an ID check, they proceeded to a waiting area to receive the vaccine.