Habitat for Humanity’s Estevan committee has recognized its largest donor.
Elaine and Grant Walkom donated a trailer earlier this year appraised at $75,000. The trailer was sold, and the money put the committee over the top in its fundraising campaign for the construction of a new home for a local family, Stephanie Bramham and her daughter Teal.
Construction on the new home is well underway.
A cheque presentation took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Estevan Mercury Publications office.
Elaine Walkom said the couple owned a three-bedroom mobile home in the Willow Park Greens Home Park that they were using to house an employee for their company, Hank’s Maintenance. But the employee moved, and so they discussed whether to keep the trailer or sell it.
“Because of the turndown in oil, there wasn’t the need for it with workers, because there wasn’t as many people looking for homes, so we decided to sell it,” she said.
The Walkoms wanted to find a way to support Habitat for Humanity.
“It was a charitable operation that we just heard about, and I checked into a bit,” she said. “I thought it’s locally run, I trusted the people involved with it, and I think to see the progress that goes along day by day (is great), and it’s such a good cause because somebody gets to live in a house they normally wouldn’t be able to afford.”
The donation was made before Grant Walkom died in July.
Local Habitat for Humanity committee chair Doug Barnstable said this was the donation that allowed the committee to purchase the land in northeast Estevan where the home is located.
“It was very instrumental in us getting started this year,” said Barnstable. “If we didn’t have that donation, then we may have well been looking at next year for the actual construction.”
Barnstable said the committee was surprised and pleased when they found out the Walkoms wanted to donate a trailer to the committee.
He noted that Elaine Walkom wants other people to be aware they could make a similar type of contribution that would be directed to future home builds.
Habitat for Humanity committee member Roberta DeRosier added that the generosity of the Walkoms and other people in Estevan is just mind-blowing.
