Kagan Kneen, executive director for the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter stopped in the Border City on his 1,300-kilometre trek today.
Lloydminster roughly marks the halfway point on his journey. To celebrate and raise even more money there was a fundraising BBQ in the parking lot of Cenovus Energy.
Kagen’s goal is to raise $300,000 for the Men’s Shelter.
“The purpose for that money is to get a down payment so that we can actually secure a building. We’re going to have to get a mortgage, we are a non-profit so we don’t have a ton of money available. So the whole point is to try and get as much as we can so we can get a good down payment so that we don’t have a big mortgage.”
Kagen emphasized the importance of this fundraiser.
“At the end of the day we need to have a bigger facility. More beds because we only have 28 beds right now and we serve about 250 people a month. So to have 60 beds for men, convert our existing shelter into a women’s shelter so that’s 28 beds for women. To curate an outdoor space that’s going to be for anybody that’s not checked into a shelter facility. That’ll help clean up a little bit of downtown and it’s going to give them somewhere safe to be.”
The runner also mentioned some other amenities they would add to the new facility.
“Gazebos, water fountain, 24-hour washroom facilities so there’s a ton of things that we’re working on but we need to be able to secure the capital in order to make that a reality and help the whole city of Lloyminster as well as our clients.”
Kagen asks for people to follow along with the journey on social media, share it and consider donating if you can. When it comes to donations Kagen appreciates it all.
“Every little bit helps it doesn’t matter if it’s $5, $10, $20 it doesn’t matter every little bit is gonna help contribute to that goal.”
You can sponsor the effort in the following ways:
- Run in Spirit: Donate $100 per km. Dedicate your donation to a loved one, claim it proudly, or support it anonymously. Donate contributions online
- Run Virtually: Show your support and spread the word. Upload your run to Strava and tag us. Encourage your friends and family to donate to your effort
- Spread the Word: Share Kagan’s journey on social media using #RunningForShelter.
- Challenge your network to donate alongside you
Follow Kagan’s journey on social media:
- Instagram: @runningforshelteryll
- TikTok: @runningforshelteryll
