“Kate, get up and see this!” It was Loverboy, who thought a five-year-old cowgirl in a big hat and white skirt/suit, singing “Put Your Hand in the Hand” with guitar accompaniment by her 13-year-old brother, was the cutest thing going on TV this morning.

It’s Telemiracle time.
For the past 27 years, the Kinsmen clubs of Saskatchewan have put on a televised telethon to raise money to help handicapped children and their families. It runs about 24 hours and on its stage, in Regina one year and in Saskatoon the next, parades amateur song and dance talent from across the province as well as the rest of the country. For months beforehand, local community groups and schools all over the province raise funds in a myriad of ways and, between performances, step onto the stage for a few moments to present their cheques to the emcees.

Bob McGrath, of Sesame Street fame, has been involved since the very first telemiracle. Other familiar faces on the Canadian celebrity scene are regulars too. Across the bottom of the screen is a running printout of names, locations, and amounts of donations made as people call in to make their pledges. We’ll be making our own phone call later today.

Saskatchewan, one of the poorest provinces in Canada and with a population of only one million people (sparse for its size, and losing people by droves every year because they migrate out to find work), manages to raise millions of dollars for the handicapped each year by this method. It’s impressive, really.

My sister Jill probably sang on this stage at least once.

A class of elementary schoolchildren raised funds via a penny drive in their little town. They collected 47,000 pennies. There are all kinds of creative pursuits involved in the raising of money, but one thing’s for sure -- the people of Saskatchewan, struggling themselves, give.