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Made in Saskatchewan Festival

Supports SaskAbilities and Snowarama
back 40

A Made in Saskatchewan Beer, Wine and Spirits Festival is being held at Back Forty Brewery in Yorkton as a fundraiser for SaskAbilities and as another step toward Snowarama 2020.

The event was held tonight (Friday), and will be again Saturday evening starting at 7 p.m., with a range of Saskatchewan made beers, wines and spirits available.

Food is also a big part of the event with Chacuterie Boards featuring Harvest Meats products featured, explained Back Forty spokesperson Tammy Plews.

Plews said hosting the event was a natural for the local brewery.

“We’ve been involved with Snowarama the last three years, since we first opened our doors,” she said.

And when they were approached to host they of course said yes, as part of being supportive of community activities.

Focusing the evening on Saskatchewan-made products was a natural as well, said Plews.

“Let’s celebrate what we have here in Saskatchewan,” she said, adding “you don’t have to go farther for great products.”

John Denysek with SaskAbilities said the locale is excellent.

“It’s a great partnership (with Back Forty),” he said, adding they are finding they are getting people not just from the snowmobile community, but from those wanting to try some new Saskatchewan products and great food.

Looking ahead to Snowarama 2020 will mark 43 years of riding trails for a good cause.

In 2020 the ride will be a bit shorter, starting at the Abilities Centre in the city Feb. 8, and then heading to Good Spirit, the midway point of the day, before returning to the city with the banquet and awards at the Gallagher Centre.

The money raised by the ride is targeted towards Camp Easter Seal and similar programming.

The will help fund these programs and benefit individuals experiencing disability in Saskatchewan.

“Camp Easter Seal is an ideal way for individuals experiencing disability to meet friends, develop new skills, participate in activities, and have fun – all in a safe environment,” said a release distributed Friday evening. “It is a completely wheelchair accessible resort located at Manitou Beach near Watrous, Saskatchewan. It is the only completely barrier-free camp facility of its kind in Saskatchewan and offers campers a true camping experience. Campers often experience horseback riding, boating, tubing, wakeboarding, or swimming for the first time. The cost per camper for a one-week session in 2019 at Camp Easter Seal was $1,725.”

Another program of note is Summer Fun. It “is an urban day camp for children and youth experiencing disability. Easter Seals Saskatchewan offers this program in Regina, Saskatoon, Swift Current and Yorkton during the months of July and August. The cost per child is $1,500. Programming is funded through donations to Easter Seals Saskatchewan.”

Also money helps Adaptive Technology Services which “offers assistance to aid in communication and daily living for children and youth experiencing disability. Students are given the tools to become more interactive with their peers, allowing them to participate in class projects and develop a sense of belonging.”