Say Yes to Kids!

Once again this year, the Diocese of Athabasca participated in the Say Yes! to Kids campaign sponsored by the Anglican Foundation of Canada. Our goal was to raise $6,000 to help support our Diocesan Family Camp, which will be held July 30–August 2, 2026, at Camp Artaban.

Thanks to the generosity of members throughout the Diocese, $2,690 has been raised through the campaign. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to this important ministry.

Although the Say Yes! to Kids campaign has concluded, donations in support of the Diocesan Family Camp are still welcome and may be made through the Diocesan Synod Office.

We recently received a letter from the Executive Director of the Anglican Foundation of Canada, Dr. Scott Brubacher, expressing appreciation for the Diocese's participation in this year's campaign. A copy of his letter is shared below.

Dear Friends,

As June comes to a close, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made the 2026 Say Yes! to Kids campaign such a remarkable success.

Thanks to your generosity, we have already surpassed our national fundraising goal of $150,000. Donations continue to arrive daily. The campaign portal will remain open until July 10 as we process these gifts and help more teams reach their individual fundraising goals.

This is certainly something to celebrate! But what has stayed with me most is the energetic spirit of this year’s campaign. It felt as though the Canadian church truly embraced Say Yes! to Kids in a new way. Across the country, teams rallied their communities with enthusiasm and joy. There were friendly competitions, generous challenges, and lots of fun along the way.

Perhaps even more encouraging was seeing children and young people become active participants in the campaign itself. That’s exactly what Kids Helping Kids, the fund established in 2011 from which Say Yes! to Kids grew, was intended to do.

Your generosity also set the tone for the entire campaign. Support came quickly and consistently, giving our teams confidence from the very beginning. There was never much doubt that, together, we would reach our goal.

I also want to express my sincere thanks to our anonymous AFC Angel Matching Donor. By matching the first $1,000 raised locally by each participating team, this extraordinary gift encouraged participation and sparked further generosity.

Whether you made a donation, joined a team, organized an event, shared our stories, volunteered your time, or simply encouraged others to take part, you helped make this campaign extraordinary—and it may prove to be the strongest year for Say Yes! to Kids yet!

As we head into the summer months, many of us will enjoy a well-earned opportunity to rest and spend time with family and friends. Before we do, I wanted you to know how grateful we are for your support, your encouragement, and your belief in the potential of children, youth, and young adults across Canada.

Thank you for saying "Yes!" to kids.

With gratitude,

Dr. Scott Brubacher
Executive Director
Anglican Foundation of Canada