Nobody could blame Kyle McKee for feeling upset this holiday season. A month ago, his mother Colleen, a well-known community figure, volunteer and Flin Flon city councillor, died after a bout of cancer. Driven by his mother’s example, he’s making Christmas brighter for a person or family who has fallen on hard times.
McKee has given away a sum of money he was awarded earlier this year to families in need.
Earlier this year, McKee received an undisclosed sum of cash - somewhere in the hundreds - courtesy of the Baby Ducks, a Calgary-based ball hockey team McKee plays on. When his teammates found about his mother’s death, the team and the league they play in pitched in money.
“They said, ‘use this for something charitable - donate it to charity or do something kind of like that with it,” he said from his home in Alberta.
McKee came up with the idea of donating the money to a family or group that has been hit hard due to COVID-19. His goal is to help someone who may be about to have a rough Christmas season - people who lost their jobs or people who have lost significant portions of their savings or wages, for instance. McKee took nominations from people for their families, friends, coworkers, neighbours or any other people close to them.
“Especially out here in Alberta, I’ve seen it firsthand how many people are struggling out here with employment because of COVID-19. I’m sure the same thing is happening in Flin Flon. People are struggling right now. 2020 has been hard on everybody,” he said.
“I’m hoping it can be something good. Say there’s a family who has fallen on hard times, a single parent or they lost their job and they can’t provide gifts and Christmas for their family, or maybe they can’t provide food. I’m looking for someone who has fallen on a hard time who could maybe be able to provide this, but they’re really struggling and grappling with something like that.”
Instead of sending the money to a major charity or organization, McKee felt it would be best sent to a family or group in need of help over the holidays.
“I thought that money could go directly to somebody and make a direct impact. As good an initiative as it may be, to put that money toward a cancer foundation or something like that, the money would be a drop in the bucket and wouldn’t even be noticed. I thought it would be nice to give it to someone directly, to make a direct impact,” he said.
“With charities, there’s still overhead costs. Any money you give can be diluted by that. They have to pay employees and things like that, there are operating costs. If you give them $1,000, maybe only $500 or $600 actually gets put towards the research - the rest of it gets funnelled into operating costs. I figured something like this where it’s direct could make a bigger impact.”
Proving that lemonade can be made even from the most bitter of lemons is part of the deal. McKee said his plan was based heavily on his mother’s example and the lessons she imparted on him growing up - generosity, a desire to help the community and to improve people’s lives.
When asked how much of his plan had to do with his mother, McKee said, “Probably everything.”
“It’s all there. That’s the exact reason why I’m doing it - because of my mom.”
Following Colleen’s death, Kyle had time to reflect on his mother’s role in her hometown. His initiative is a way to both pay tribute to her and pay it forward.
“Hearing stories from people, the impact she had around town, made me do some self-reflection - like maybe I should be out there doing more things, like my mom would be doing. That’s what this was born from. It’s 100 per cent all to do with her,” he said.
Whoever receives funds from McKee won’t be discussed by him or in the pages of The Reminder. It’s not about adulation - the initiative is about helping out and discretion is part of the deal.
“I don't want to put anyone on display for this. Likely, they're struggling and they don't want their struggle to be known to the general public. A lot of people are dealing with it quietly by themselves. This is just something to kind of help them along. It doesn't need to be a spectacle,” he said.
