Members of the North Battleford Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo present a $50,000 cheque to TeleMiracle. (Image Credit: North Battleford Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo)

By Kenneth Cheung

GIVING BACK

‘It’s a pretty special feeling’: Battlefords rodeo tradition leads to $50K TeleMiracle 50 donation

Mar 2, 2026 | 1:42 PM

In North Battleford, the thunder of hooves and the steady rhythm of a three-day rodeo have long carried more than competition. For decades, they have carried the community.

That tradition continued this year as the North Battleford Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo donated $50,000 to TeleMiracle during its milestone 50th anniversary, a contribution built on volunteer hours, packed arenas and generations of local support. 

The funds came from the club’s annual indoor rodeo, now entering its 54th year at the Access Communications Centre, along with recent Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) finals events hosted in the city. 

READ MORE: CCA rides high after another successful rodeo finals in North Battleford

“It’s pretty special to be able to be a part of the Kinsman organization here in the Battlefords,” said committee member Heath Gabruch.

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“This community has supported us very well and obviously allowed us to continue our tradition of this indoor rodeo for 54 years this spring.” 

TeleMiracle 50 raised a record $10,521,072 during its anniversary telethon in Saskatoon over the weekend, continuing a five-decade tradition of Saskatchewan residents helping one another access medical equipment and travel support through the Kinsmen Foundation. Since 1977, TeleMiracle has raised over $171 million.

For Gabruch, the donation reflects a cycle of support that runs both ways.

“TeleMiracle and the Kinsman Foundation have definitely supported families and individuals in the Battlefords for decades,” he said. “Our community, we’ve benefited from Telemiracle in many ways with families that have needed the foundation for help.” 

The club’s relationship with the telethon stretches back decades. 

When TeleMiracle marked its 40th anniversary, the group donated $40,000. Over roughly three decades, Gabruch estimates the club itself has contributed at least $300,000, not including additional fundraising by residents and businesses. 

Among those local efforts this year was Home Hardware in North Battleford, which raised and donated $20,000 through in-store promotions. 

Together, those contributions reflect what Gabruch describes as something larger than a single event or cheque presentation.

“TeleMiracle as a whole, you see the people and the organizations and businesses that come together,” he said. “It’s pretty special to be a part of that.” 

He said the meaning behind the volunteer work is simple.

“And as a committee, this is the true meaning behind the work that we do as volunteers to be able to give back to our community and to people of Saskatchewan,” Gabruch said. 

“It’s a pretty special feeling.” 

—

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com