Two Hutch Ambulance employees participating in Jump for Charity fundraiser
March 31, 2025, 11:06 am
Ashley Bochek
The Jump for Charity is an annual fundraiser that supports the Teddy Bears Anonymous charity in Saskatchewan, and will have two local participants this year.
Jesse Buchanan and Jackie Vennard of Hutch Ambulance in Moosomin are among this year’s EMS Saskatchewan participants who will be jumping out of an airplane to raise funds for Teddy Bears Anonymous.
The Jump for Charity is being held in Moose Jaw on September 6.
“The Jump for Charity is on September 6 in Moose Jaw, and it is the Saskatchewan EMS against the Moose Jaw City Police and will be raising money for Teddy Bears Anonymous,” said Vennard. “Last year, Saskatchewan EMS beat Regina City Police Service — that is why EMS was invited again this year. It is an annual charity event. Last year, the total raised by Saskatchewan EMS was $6,611 and we would like to beat the EMS total from last year.
“Whoever brings in the most money for the charity has bragging rights, but it is all about raising as much money as we can for Teddy Bears Anonymous,” said Vennard.
The event will be held at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport and will include a barbecue.
“There will be a bunch of people that will come out to watch — it is like a gathering. There will be a barbecue as well. They will all be at the landing zone cheering us on as we jump out of planes,” said Buchanan.
Vennard says Walter Hutchinson notified them about the charity event a few weeks ago.
“We had an email be forwarded to us from Walter, our boss, stating that Moosomin was chosen to send people who wanted to do this to represent Saskatchewan EMS so we both put our hands up and said, ‘pick me!’ basically.”
Teddy Bears in Ambulances
Vennard says the teddy bears help comfort and support children and sometimes elders travelling in ambulances.
“We do have the teddy bears in the ambulance. We give them not just to kids, but we also use them for our elderly dementia patients or sometimes our mental health patients. If patients get agitated sometimes the teddy bears are a distraction that helps. The kids always light up when they see a teddy bear and I think it makes the back of the ambulance a little less scary for them, and the teddy bears are sterile. They can go into an OR setting with the kids when usually nothing can because it is not sterile. So, we find that is great for the kids,” she says.
Buchanan adds, “I have always found when I give out teddy bears—I try to give them out as much as I can, especially to the kids. A lot of the stuff that we can end up doing does or can hurt, like a needle, and kids aren’t too excited for that, I know I wasn’t as a kid. It is kind of more of a comfort measure for them. Something for them to focus on like Jackie said. I find it helps them to be more comfortable and focus on the bear it’s like a reward as well for letting us do our job and being strong.”
“We have had the Teddy Bears Anonymous teddy bears for at least the last five years, but before them we always had some sort of teddy bear in our ambulance,” said Vennard. “At one point there was actually a local motorcycle club that donated some teddy bears to us that were wearing little leather jackets — they were pretty cute.”
Importance of Teddy Bears
Vennard says the ambulance can be scary for kids, and they believe the teddy bears help calm and comfort the kids through the long ride.
“We want the kids to feel safe, comfortable, happy, and less agitated. It’s also an education piece. We are asked where the teddy bears are from, and we can talk about how they are local and the charity that gives them to us is local. I think it is just a comfort measure and that is essentially why we do this job, is to make people feel better. So if we can offer an object that doesn’t hurt and isn’t scary—like Jesse said there are a lot of things that we can do in the ambulance that unfortunately cause pain or discomfort, it’s scary, there are lots of lights and lots of questions, and if we can offer them just something small, it makes us a little more human to them perhaps, not so scary.”
Feelings about the jump
Vennard and Buchanan say they are both excited for the opportunity and to raise money for a good cause.
“My dad asked me if I needed to see a doctor because he thought I was crazy,” said Vennard. “I have also had people say ‘way to go’ and ‘I have to thank you.’ You do get a lot of ‘you’re crazy,’ but I am just so excited.” Vennard said.
Buchanan added, “My parents, especially my mom, was very nervous about it to the point where she said she might not even come to the jump that day. She says she is going to force herself to do it because it is for a great cause.
My dad, kind of a rough go-getter, thought ‘Okay!’ and was excited and all for it. A lot of my friends thought it was really cool. I see it more as doing it for a good cause and I have always wanted to jump out of a plane whether that be military or skydiving, I always thought that kind of stuff is cool and to do it for a good cause is an even better reason to do it.”
They both say they have never gone skydiving before but have always wanted to try.
“I have never gone skydiving. It is on my bucket list so now I am going to do it,” Vennard said.
“I’m pretty much the same,” Buchanan said. “I wanted to go into the military and that was one of the big things that I looked forward to if I did get in, doing like paratrooper things.”
Inspiration for Jump
Vennard said she was inspired by Mikka Heide and her journey.
“I am very excited for the jump. I am a hometown girl. I went to school here in Moosomin, my kids went to school here, so I know the family who runs the charity and Mikka Heide, who is the latest one to go through the treatment in her family, she really for some reason inspires me. I think somebody so young that can face something so scary is inspiring, and she is very strong, a very strong young lady, I just want to do this for her. I didn’t even have a second thought about it. If she can face cancer and stare it in the face like that and go through a life-altering surgery, I can jump out of a plane.”
Buchanan adds, “I grew up in Moose Jaw, so I know quite a few of Moose Jaw City Police and whoever raises the most money, that’s great, the more money for the kids and for this cause the better, and that is amazing. My cousin grew up with a condition where his left ventricle is smaller than the other and he has gone to surgeries pretty much all of his life and when I heard this fundraiser is to do with kids, with the teddy bears and why we have them, I decided I am going to do it.”
Community Involvement
Buchanan said he is excited to try something new and be part of a great fundraiser.
“I am a little nervous because it is new, but I am excited to support such a great cause and be part of an amazing fundraiser. My big thing is getting to know the community and getting to know more about everything that goes on in our community and show them we are not just here to do the calls, but here to answer questions and talk to us and give back to the community. We are here to help them.”
Vennard says she is a little nervous for the unknown but can’t wait to get out in the community for the fundraiser.
“I am not young anymore so there are always nerves to it. I think I am more nervous about the unknown, I have never done it.
“I think once we get there, and they go over it with us I will feel more comfortable. As far as the fundraising goes, like Jesse said, it will be great to give back to the community. We haven’t had a chance to do that since COVID and since COVID our call volume has pretty much doubled so it is very hard for us to get to the schools, the daycares, and community places so this will be a great opportunity to get out there and touch base with the community members again and the new community members because Moosomin is growing and so I am looking forward to that part of it.”
