On April 30, Wildlife Haven in Île-des-Chênes hosted a fundraiser at the TransCanada Centre, packing the building from noon until 4:00 p.m. Every 30 minutes, a bus drove visitors to the site of Wildlife Haven’s new animal hospital wing. The hospital will not be open to the public once the facility begins operations, so this represented many people’s first and last chance to see it.
The fundraiser had a lot for its visitors to see and do. Winnipeg radio station 99 Bob FM broadcast live, and Buzz and Boomer, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers mascots, gave high-fives to all the kids. There was a kids station, including face-painting, balloon animals, and popcorn.
Adults could partake of free coffee samples, nibble on hors d’oeurves, and bid in a silent auction that had everything from a barbecue to signed hockey jerseys.
“The fundraiser was successful due to the support of the local communities and surrounding communities,” says Anne Wowchuk, Wildlife Haven’s coordinator. “It went very well.”
The heart behind the fundraiser was to reach Wildlife Haven’s goal of opening a new animal hospital and education centre in Île-des-Chênes, the construction of which has already started. When they first began fundraising a few years ago, their target was $2.5 million. Now they only have $800,000 to go, because of events such as this one and the donations of generous individuals.
Educating the public is a big part of what Wildlife Haven strives to do, whether it’s at events, in schools, and even birthday parties. A team of education ambassadors has been travelling around the province for seven years, taking with them an American kestrel falcon named Cricket. Cricket was once rescued and couldn’t be released back into the wild due to being handled by humans. Sadly, many other animals face the same dire situation.
Wildlife Haven’s motto is, “If you care, leave it there.” When someone finds an injured animal, the best thing to do is call the centre. Why? There are a few reasons, including the fact that when handled improperly, an injured animal can be injured further, or hurt the person trying to help it. Also, if an animal is cared for too much from a bystander, they can imprint on the human. Once this occurs, the animal can no longer be released due to its dependence on humans.
A date has not been set for the new facility to open, as they have not reached their target.
