Early Safety Training Raises Over $12,000 at Golf Tournament
Weyburn – The Early Safety Training bursary fund grew by $12,000 thanks to another successful golf fundraiser on May 28th at the Weyburn Golf Club. Seventy-eight golfers enjoyed wet, yet favourable weather conditions during the 18-hole Texas Scramble tournament, which was followed by a steak barbecue and various prize draws. Teams participated from a number of areas including Weyburn, Estevan, Oxbow, Lampman, and Carry the Kettle First Nation.
Net proceeds from this golf tournament support the Early Safety Training program, which is overseen by a volunteer steering committee. Co-chair of the steering committee, Gerard Rieger, is extremely pleased with the results. “The golf tournament organizing committee did a fabulous job once again and I would like to thank all the golfers and sponsors for supporting Early Safety Training,” says Rieger. “The money raised will provide bursaries for many southeast Saskatchewan youth in the upcoming year.”
The Early Safety Training program also received an additional $5,000 in funding at the tournament from the Weyburn Oil Show Board. In his presentation of the donation, Vice-Chairman of the Board, Dennis Krainyk, reinforced the importance of Early Safety Training and the preparation it provides young people for entry into the oil and gas industry.
Early Safety Training program receives an additional $5,000 donation at the golf tournament from the Weyburn Oil Show Board. Photo from left to right: Stan Runnie (Weyburn Oil Show Board), Dennis Krainyk (Vice Chairman, Weyburn Oil Show Board), Gerard Rieger (Co-Chair, Early Safety Training Committee), Laurence Woodard (Weyburn Oil Show Board), and Abby Kradovill (Early Safety Training Committee & Golf Tournament Chair)
About the Early Safety Training Program
Early Safety Training (EST) is a southeast Saskatchewan initiative that provides affordable safety training and awareness-building to young people between 16 and 21 years of age. It is a successful partnership between education, industry and government that started in 1996. EST promotes safety courses to young people, at an affordable cost and at convenient times through the school year. EST courses are offered primarily by Southeast Regional College and the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute in eleven communities including Assiniboia, Coronach, Estevan, Carlyle, Weyburn, Whitewood, Rockglen, Bengough, Redvers, Moosomin, and Oxbow.
To alleviate the financial burden that safety training can pose for students, the EST bursary program has been established. Students taking the EST program can receive a bursary that covers the first $200 of their safety training course tuitions. Bursary funds are raised through grants and regular donations, as well as the annual golf tournament. Since 1996, the program has raised over $147,000 in support for over 800 bursary recipients.
In addition to the bursary program, the push from the volunteer Early Safety Training steering committee has been to change the safety culture through education. Because of the committee’s continuous efforts, safety courses are now included and may be offered as a curriculum credit course in all Saskatchewan high schools under the Practical and Applied Arts (PAA) Survey course: Work Readiness and Safety. Furthermore, members of the EST steering committee are currently involved in an initiative to grow the EST program provincially.
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