Eva Morgan donated more than $1.7 million to the fundraiser
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A late Sask. farmer’s donation helped add to a historic fundraising event.
Eva Morgan was a teacher before marrying her husband John and operating a cash crop and cattle farm near Old Wives, Sask. for 50 years until retiring in Moose Jaw in 1998.
She passed away on Feb. 14, 2021, at the age of 99.
But her memory lives on through a significant donation to the TeleMiracle event held March 5 and 6.
Of the more than $8 million raised during the two-day telethon, Morgan made a posthumous donation of $1,779,771.20 – the largest single donation in the fundraiser’s history.
The $8 million total also set a new record, breaking the previous mark of $7 million raised in 2018.
The hosts announced her donation in the closing hours of the 20-hour event on Sunday.
“There were a lot of tears in the building,” Richard Kiest, executive director of the Kinsmen Foundation, told CTV News.
Funds raised during TeleMiracle are distributed through the Kinsmen Foundation, which helps Saskatchewan families needing specialized mobility equipment and assistance with medical travel.
Some mobility scooters, for example, can cost upwards of $5,000.
Morgan’s bequest will go a long way to help families, Kies said.
“We can’t express how humble we are that people would think to leave their legacy with TeleMiracle and help so many people across the province,” he said.
Multiple people left messages of gratitude following a TeleMiracle Facebook post announcing Morgan’s donation.
“Eva has a very good heart to help so many,” Judy Poncelet wrote. “Thank you for your generosity.”
The donation “makes me cry, this will help so many people who need help,” said Sandra Lee Deener.