Car buffs from across the region put the pedal to the metal Saturday for the N49 Cruise for Hope in support of the Pembina Counselling Centre.
The parade of wheels started out from Altona midday, stopped in Winkler for a car show and supper at Hometown Service, and ended the day at Morden’s Stardust Drive-in for a screening of F1.
Executive director Chris Derksen was thrilled to see the numbers grow across the board in the event’s second year.
“Last year we had 90 vehicles registered. This year we had 113, and that does not include the people that just showed up in Winkler—we had well over 115 vehicles there,” he said.
Financially, the day looked Monday to be on track to have brought in around $35,000 for the counselling centre, after expenses.
“Last year we did $25,000, so we’re absolutely thrilled,” Derksen said.
The funds go to help Pembina Counselling provide affordable mental health care. Their services are offered on a sliding-fee scale to ensure everyone has access.
“People in our community—and I’m so grateful for them—they need to know that their donations are making a difference in people’s lives,” Derksen said. “People struggling with addiction, with anxiety, with relational problems, whatever it may be.”
The centre has seen the demand for counselling explode in recent years. In 2020, they had about 2,000 appointments; this year they’re on track to hit 5,000.
“And our staff has increased, too,” Derksen shared. “We had three counsellors back then and now we have 10 and we’re actually looking for number 11.”
Fundraisers like the Cruise for Hope help the non-profit keep costs low.
“We couldn’t do that without the support of the community,” Derksen stressed. “So a big thank-you to all our corporate donors as well as everybody that came out to support the cruise.”
