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Local fundraiser hoping to support hometown Make-A-Wish recipients

"It's not just about the money, its also about the awareness too," said Natosha Wareham-Bakker about planning a Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser here in Moose Jaw
make a wish auction
The artwork available for auction features Saskatchewan sunsets, as well as a sunset photography session with a local Moose Jaw photographer. (supplied)

The Make-A-Wish Foundation can only grant wishes with the support of community donations, and one local business owner has brought the fundraising efforts home to Moose Jaw. 

Natosha Wareham-Bakker, owner of enLeigh Designs, has partnered with the Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa in planning Moose Jaw’s first Make-A-Wish Saskatchewan fundraising event — Sparkling Sunset, an evening featuring food, music, and a charity auction. 

In December and January, two kids from Moose Jaw received their wishes from the Foundation, and Wareham-Bakker remembers thinking that she didn’t hear about their stories at all. So, she decided to do something to bring attention to the Foundation here in the city.

“It's not a small undertaking when we have a wish to plan,” said Wareham-Bakker. “I figure that in our area, we should be able to help out. Saskatoon does all these big events, and Regina does big events, so let's look after our own kids.”

Moose Jaw has 10 children currently waiting for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Wareham-Bakker felt that those kids deserved a spotlight and some support in making their wishes come true. 

It takes around $10,000 for the Foundation to give one child their wish, and Wareham-Bakker hopes her fundraiser can reach that goal, if not surpass it — ideally, she’d love to see the full $100,000 needed to grant wishes for all 10 kids in Moose Jaw. 

Every penny raised at Sparkling Sunset will go directly towards the Wish funds for a Moose Jaw recipient. If the event goes well, Wareham-Bakker would be interested in making it an annual evening.

Wareham-Bakker has included some heartwarming personal touches in her planning, such as having the local children currently waiting for a Wish choose their favourite desserts to be on the menu for the night, and inviting past Make-A-Wish recipients and their families to share their stories. 

As of now, there has been an outpouring of interest in the event and Wareham-Bakker only has a handful of tickets left. 

“I have eight tickets left [as of Tuesday], and if people are interested, we will do our best to fit them in,” said Wareham-Bakker. 

Sparkling Sunset will take place on Sept. 20, with the cocktail hour beginning at 6 p.m. and supper at 7 p.m. Local band Stadacona Soul will be performing, and there will be a number of raffle items and a live auction following supper. 

Tickets are available for purchase online, and any questions about the event can be directed to Natosha Wareham-Bakker at enleighdesigns@gmail.com or 1 (306) 690-7804.

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