A total of 21 combines ripped up and down a canola field north of Three Hills near the Cargill elevator on Sat. Sept. 19. Over 30,000 children from developing countries will be sent to summer camp after 55,000+ was raised in support of Children’s Camp International. Photo courtesy of Ron Nickel
A small act of kindness can go a long way. An even bigger act, such as that seen a couple of miles north of Three Hills, Alta. on Sept. 19, has gone even farther. Around the world in fact.
Harvest for Kids, a branch of a faith-based organization called Children’s Camp International, has fields all over Western Canada that contribute to this fund each year including three in Manitoba, five in Saskatchewan, and one in Alberta.
For Three Hills specifically, they have been at it for three years now including 2020.
There were 21 combines in action taking canola off an anonymous donor’s field along Highway 21.
“It’s amazing. The farming community when you get to know the farmers – their DNA – pulling an event like this together has been pretty incredible to see the hearts of the farming community,” said David Theissen, president of Children’s Camp International who attended the event first hand.
“I know one farmer that came to the field that day still has 80 per cent of his crop out. He came and dropped what he was doing to come and make a difference in the lives of kids.”
With that many machines rolling, they were able to donate a whopping $55,000+ which equates to over 30,000 children getting sent to summer camp in places such as Brazil, Cambodia, India and Kenya.
All of the combines adorned a flag from one of those countries as well.
Last year, they were able to send over two million kids. At the end of October though, they will have reached another 500,000 in 2020 alone.
This is the same organization that easily broke a Guinness World Record in 2018 by having 303 combines stretched over two miles near Winkler, Manitoba.
Previously, the record was held at 244 combines running in Saskatchewan.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
