Hi, my name is Chris Abrams and I am the Manitoba coordinator for Creations 4 Charity. I am one of the founding members of Manitoba LEGO Users Group (MBLUG) and I serve as show coordinator for the group.
This is the 3rd year that I have been lucky enough to be involved with Creations 4 Charity. The organizations we donated to consider this a real gift so we do our best to stretch our money. This year we received a combined amount of $2127 between Creations 4 Charity and MBLUG. We managed to spend $2180 with a retail value of $3304
The organizations we donated to this year were Children's Hospital of Manitoba, Genesis House, Elmwood Community Resource Centre, Evermoore, and Wahbung Abinoonjiiag.
Donations to the Children's Hospital of Manitoba are given to the kids at the hospital for them to build at their beds. It allows them a special gift that gives them break from the treatments they are going through.
Genesis House is a domestic violence service providing help for people dealing with domestic abuse. Donations to them will be used as Christmas gifts for the kids in care or used by group therapy.
On behalf of Elmwood Community Resource Centre (ECRC), we thank Creation Charity for your generous Lego donation. Your contribution has made a meaningful difference, supporting our mission to create positive change in the lives of community members we serve. With your support, we were able to gift the Lego sets to some of the children and youth who attend our children's and after-school programs. We would like to share the children responded with great excitement.
"Evermore, a mission-driven organization, that inspires children through quality recreational opportunities, located in the West Central neighbourhood of Winnipeg. This LEGO donation will be used by the children that attend our after-school programs at John M. King, Wellington, and Greenway schools. LEGO is immensely popular among the children attending these programs, offering an activity that unites kids of all ages. Moreover, it serves as a bonding experience for our adult staff and volunteers while fostering meaningful relationships with the children we serve."
Wahbung Abinoonjiiag is an Indigenous non-profit organization with a focus on domestic violence prevention, crisis and healing designed to support traditional practices and provide opportunity for children and families who have been impacted by violence. Our team includes a children and youth team that strive to create a safe space for children, junior and senior youth through weekly circles. The unique and generous donation of LEGO will allow the many participants an opportunity to build and showcase their creativity. The dynamic youth team will be hosting a series of LEGO themed circles in the New Year to allow our children and youth to participate and connect with their peers and community. Thank you so very much for the generous donation which provides a childhood opportunity they might not otherwise have. Miigwetch for your kindness and generosity this holiday season!
For distribution, we put all the sets on 2 tables and let the support workers choose their sets, just as many of us do in parts drafts. It was very hard for them to choose causing lots of sweat and anxiety, but fun was had by all. Thanks again to Wahbung for providing space for us all to get together.
Once again, thank you for this awesome opportunity to be involved and give back to our community! I must also add that I appreciate the help I get from my wife to do this, she truly is my 1x5 brick!!
Chris Abrams
