As a parent, ensuring your kids have what they need – even in difficult circumstances – is always at the top of your mind. This is what Zack, a Saskatoon resident and father of two, discovered when he faced a situation that greatly impacted his family.

Just eight years old, Nathan is a leukemia survivor with a passion for the majestic animals of the Ice Age. His dreams for science and adventure were filled in the summer of 2022, when the Make-A-Wish Foundation brought his family to Whitehorse for a week-long paleontology trip, full of mammoth bones and amazing memories.

7-year-old Rocky has grown up with a deep passion for playing sports like football, ball hockey, and baseball, despite a congenital heart condition. In the summer of 2022, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted Rocky’s wish: a trip for the entire family to meet the Toronto Blue Jays, throw the first pitch in a game, and be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience.

A year after being matched through Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver (BBGV), 10-year-old Aiden and his mentor Connor both have incredible new outlooks on their future, and plenty of mutual support to help them attain it.

In only a year, 9-year-old mentee Brooklyn and her mentor Shaye – matched by Big Brothers Big Sisters – have had plenty of adventures together, building the foundations of a lifelong friendship.

Jade is a volunteer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is where she met her mentee, Denika – a young girl who matches her energy, enthusiasm, and passion for life. Together, they’re enriching each other’s lives and each other’s futures.

Years ago, Chris Krug-Iron watched a Sum Theatre performance from the audience – and now, he’s part of the latest production. Emphasizing the power of community and connection, it reflects his own journey into theatre life and the important lessons learned for the next generation.

In 2017, Tim Irvine was just starting a new career when a brain tumour interrupted the lives of his entire family. With uncertainty at every turn, he and his wife found new hope in the grants of Creative Kids, which kept their three kids enrolled in the piano lessons they loved.

For over ten years, single mother Joyclyne and her daughters Tyneesha, Cavetta, and Saige have been visiting the North Central Family Centre in Regina. In that time, the Centre has helped them all learn, grow, and improve their lives in so many ways.

Thanks to art lessons in Prince Albert and funding from Creative Kids, Kimberly’s grandchildren have found a new way to express themselves and honour their culture.

As a teen, Shyanne and her family spent many days being helped at the North Central Family Centre. Now, as an employee there, she gets to give back to the community every single day.

7-year-old Mary went through more than two years of chemotherapy after a leukemia diagnosis – but when she received Lucy, her very own Yorkie puppy, from Make-A-Wish Canada, she regained a little bit of the childhood she had lost along the way.

Brynleigh was just three years old when a tragic accident changed the course of her life – and STARS Saskatchewan saved it. Now, six years later, she has formed a heartwarming bond with the flight crew that responded, and she still carries the STARBear that helped her through her most difficult days.

In 2014, Caiden broke his leg and required STARS transport to Saskatoon from his small town. In the years since, his work with STARS has become a defining feature of his personality, and opened new doors to a confident and engaging life ahead.

In 2013, Breanna Booy suffered a major head injury while playing with her sister near their family farm. Thanks to STARS, she is fully recovered and has a second chance at living a full and healthy life.

At just 7 years old, Bella Thomson of Swift Current has spent more than 800 days in a hospital bed. Learning this, the Saskatchewan chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation delivered on Bella’s wish, ensuring that every day at home would be even more meaningful.

Mesrak is a mother of four young kids in Saskatoon – and an avid supporter of the YMCA. Through the organization, she and her children have not only enjoyed an active lifestyle, but have also built valuable skills and confidence.

Life is unpredictable, and despite our best plans, we all need a little bit of support sometimes. For families around Saskatoon, Haven Kids’ House is there to do just that – a beacon of help and hope, giving parents and kids alike a place to lessen their stress in difficult times.

When you’re a family with four kids, living hundreds of kilometres from the city, making frequent hospital visits for sick children can be incredibly difficult – even more so with surgeries and overnight stays involved. Luckily, that’s why Haven Kids’ House is here.

Saskatoon’s Sum Theatre provides a platform for voices that have been traditionally held back, sending messages of hope and support to the next generation. Playwright Yvette Nolan talks about the theatre’s role in the community – and, in turn, the community’s role in creating art.

How does a young Indigenous musician make their voice heard in a crowded artistic space? Composer Amanda Trapp found her answer by writing the words and music for an allegorical play at Sum Theatre in Saskatoon. The result? New discussions and new hope for youth and families in the community.

Regina’s Hooplife is, ostensibly, a basketball mentorship program – but ask any of the attendees and they’ll explain how it is so much more than that. Two teenagers, Lilly and Gabrielle, talk about the impact that Hooplife has had on their lives as upcoming young women in sport.

Hooplife, the Regina-based basketball mentorship program, is a source of great pride for founders Andrew and Habib. They sat down with two of their teenage players, Victory and Zane, to discuss the skills (both on and off the court) that their coaching has delivered to the next generation.

As an excellent outlet for activity and with a long cultural history in Saskatchewan, lacrosse is experiencing a new surge in popularity across the province. KidSport, present in 40 communities and influential in many others, is helping hundreds of kids get the opportunity to play.

Bringing positive adult role models into the lives of Saskatchewan youth is a key goal of Big Brothers, Big Sisters. As this touching story of 15-year-old Khailo and his mother illustrates, it’s also one of the best ways to make a lifelong impact.

Jennifer Bauer has seven children – and a brain tumour diagnosed in 2018. However, thanks to grants from Creative Kids, her children have been able to continue their favourite activities through these difficult years.

Brent Caswell, a single father in Saskatoon, turned to Haven Kids’ House for support after a debilitating accident – just one of many people whose lives were made easier in their times of greatest need.

Haley Kolenosky is a young BMX champion – and also one of the rare sufferers of congenital hyperinsulinism, affecting her blood sugar levels. Responding to her courage and positivity, in early 2020 Make-a-Wish Canada sent Haley and her whole family on a magical trip to Disneyworld.

Nine-year-old Kinlee loves lacrosse – and thanks to support from KidSport, she is part of the Queens Lacrosse team in her hometown of Regina. Enthusiastic, confident, and always ready to practice, the sport forms a foundation of necessary skills for Kinlee as she grows.

Avery Andres has a rare genetic condition that affects her development – but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying life, especially when she’s in the water. So, the Make-a-Wish Foundation made a special delivery: a hot tub to call her very own.

Norinne and Dimercia met in May 2018 as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and have spent the last few years growing close and learning together. As they enjoy the mutual benefits of mentorship, they have created a connection that will last a lifetime.

10-year-old Aariz is a Saskatchewan Blue Cross Recess Guardian – an initiative put forth that brings physical activity and play back to break times for kids. In the process, he has learned leadership, inclusivity, and the joy of teaching others how to have fun.

Cassidy Evans is an 11-year-old living with cystic fibrosis – but rather than letting it hold her back, she has used it as a springboard for one of the largest non-profit CF advocacy and research organizations in the province. Her secret? A mobile lemonade stand and a funky pink-and-yellow logo.

Saskatoon’s SUM Theatre has a little bit of something for everyone – and that’s by design. Bringing together Indigenous voices, different cultures, and young new artists, it all combines to create messages of empathy and understanding for the audience through theatre.

Dana and Kiley met at a photo shoot for Indigenous mentors and mentees, run by Big Brothers Big Sisters in Saskatchewan. Before long, they were matched together and their journey of incredible friendship began in full.

For Regina teenagers, Sunday evenings can be a time of anxiety and dread for the upcoming week. The Lab, a free evening basketball scrimmage, has become the perfect outlet for that energy – while delivering crucial life skills that work just as well off the court.

Even before the pandemic, the Women of the Dawn Counselling Centre in Regina provided 100 children a day with free lunches. That number has grown in the last year, highlighting the reality many low-income and Indigenous people face – but also strengthening the resolve of the group to make a difference.

Some of English literature’s greatest plays were written in a pandemic – and now, 400 years later, actors and educators are still delivering the same timeless messages tailored to an online audience.

The Saskatoon YMCA has been welcoming people through its doors for more than 100 years – and now, for new arrivals and lifelong citizens alike, it is a place of support, resources, and encouragement for an active lifestyle.

The Canadian Red Cross’s Beyond the Hurt program connects teenage counsellors with bullied younger kids in need of mentorship and support. One of the counsellors, Emily, discusses the impact it has had on her life, and how she has in turn made an impact on others.

Kaiden Dafoe, born with a heart defect and a chromosomal syndrome, found a best friend in Scarlet – a furry Cavachon puppy, provided by the Make-a-Wish Foundation, that offers unconditional love and an incredible bond of support.

Abigail Hynes is an Earth Ranger – part of a Canada-wide organization with more than 200,000 kids involved in conservation and environmental programs. In fact, she is a Super Ranger, and through her many other kids have become part of the effort, too.

Daria and Jocelyn are two high school students who share a common love of Shakespeare. Through Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, they are able to enjoy his works again and again, bolstered by the enthusiasm of the community.

The Princess Shop is a non-profit organization in Saskatoon that mentors young women, building up their confidence and opportunities for success. Kayla Brien is a dedicated volunteer, who inspires – and is inspired by – the many people that she interacts with, every day.

Zoya immigrated to Canada from Pakistan at 17, without a social support network or a lot of money to spare in her big family. When she found out about The Princess Shop and their Dress Program, she suddenly found a place not only for fashion, but for friendship, too.

Brooklyn Entwistle was just 10 years old when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – bone cancer – in 2016. After countless rounds of chemotherapy and transfusions, a Make-a-Wish trip to Disneyworld is a beacon of hope that keeps her looking forward to the future.