SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority has contributed $1.3 million to its Community Investment Program for the 2023-2024 calendar year, including a planned donation of $100,000 to purchase a portable pediatric magnetic resonance imaging machine for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.
SIGA was recognized as a major donor at the Synergy 8 Drive for Kids Dinner on Aug. 29 for supporting a million-dollar campaign that would help the children’s hospital acquire a portable pediatric MRI machine. The hospital in Saskatoon provides specialized health care for children throughout the province.
“The new MRI machine will ensure that families have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to assist in a thorough and prompt prognosis of the child at the point of care, enabling bedside imaging of children with various clinical conditions,” said SIGA President & CEO Zane Hansen.
The $100,000 donation for the MRI is one of SIGA’s many CIPs in the province, with the portable machine, once purchased by the hospital, providing immediate scans to children who need the service.
SIGA is a non-profit corporation with a unique revenue distribution model, which reinvests all net revenue into Saskatchewan. Casino net revenue is redistributed — 50 per cent to the First Nations Trust, 25 per cent to Community Development Corporations and 25 per cent to the provincial general revenue fund.
The 50 per cent given to the First Nations Trust is then distributed to the 74 First Nations in the province. At the same time, the 25 per cent of money provided to CDCs is reinvested back into local community initiatives.
In addition to the CDCs, SIGA provides $1.3 million annually for its CIPs that sponsor community-level events, programming and fundraising initiatives throughout the province. So far, SIGA has already sponsored almost 300 events and initiatives in monetary or in-kind support this year.
“It is important to SIGA that we honour our guiding principle of Wîtaskêwin, which speaks to the concept of sharing our land or, in today’s terms, sharing resources. This value directs us to give back to the communities where we live and work,” said SIGA Vice President of Corporate Affairs Patricia Cook.
SIGA’s other CIPs for 2023-2024 are for the Tony Cote First Nations Winter Games ($125,000), the Saskatoon Tribal Council Urban First Nations Services Inc. Emergency Wellness Centre ($100,000), First Nations University of Canada Spring Celebration Pow Wow ($25,000), Rock Your Roots “The Walk for Reconciliation” ($10,000), Ronald McDonald House Adopt a Room ($10,000), Gordon Tootoosis N墨k膩n墨win Theatre ($10,000), Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship ($10,000) and Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan ($10,000).
To learn more about SIGA’s Community Investment Program or to apply for sponsorship, visit .
