What We Do

What We Do

Because of our volunteers, donors, sponsors and partners, the Love For Lewiston Foundation has raised nearly $2, Million+ to help SMA individuals. Since 2017, the Foundation has partnered with the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation to support the Rotary Flames House, critical research, and many Alberta Children's Hospital program initiatives.

The Love for Lewiston Foundation has proudly donated over $600,000 to the Alberta Children's Hospital to support critical programs like Newborn Screening research, Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Epilepsy (LITT), Rotary Flames House (the Hospice where Lewiston passed) and the Build Them Up campaign for the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

 

What We’ve Achieved

To date, The Love For Lewiston Foundation has raised nearly $2 Million! These funds have supported the following:

  • Over $600,000 was donated directly to The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation

  • Support critical programs like Newborn Screening research

  • Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Epilepsy (LITT)

  • Rotary Flames House (the Hospice where Lewiston passed) LFL has refurbished the Sunroom at the Rotary Flames House and gifted new mattresses for the family suites.

  • Founding Donor for the The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience for Mental Health

  • Helped families from coast to coast with medical needs

  • Produced a documentary in partnership with Telus Story Hive & South Base Films about SMA & Lewiston’s legacy called ONE SEVEN NINE

 
 
 

How it all started…

The Love for Lewiston Foundation exists to create awareness, bring joyful experiences through spreading love and directing money to support local SMA families, and ultimately raising funds focused on treatments and finding a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy through SMA Research and supporting The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation initiatives.

The Love for Lewiston Foundation was born from a position the Olstad’s embraced to spend their son Lewiston’s first birthday, NOT as a pity party, but as a celebration of his short but influential life. The community surrounded them in their darkest moments and the Olstad’s encountered light and strength in sharing their burden. The Olstad’s wanted to keep spreading the joy and love they had received to others. They believe to their core that Lewiston’s message of “squeezing a little tighter, loving a little deeper and dancing a little longer”, was meant to be shared with the world.

With seven weeks to the day, they rallied their close friends, organized and hosted their first official Lewiston event on May 25, 2017 – it raised just over $42,000 in one night. To make everything legit as an Alberta-registered society, the paperwork was prepared during the planning phases but not expected to be completed for months. On Lewiston's first birthday, Jessica received a call the morning of the party, declaring that the paperwork had been processed, approved and certified, making the Love for Lewiston Foundation an official society. This was all thanks to an amazing accounting team at Pinnacle Accounting and Finance to help push through the paperwork.

The Love For Lewiston Foundation is a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency.