Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 06/02) - Yellowknife's Royal Canadian Legion granted the wish of at least one child with a life threatening illness last week.

Last Friday, the Legion donated more than $22,000 to various charities including the Children's Wish Foundation.

The Children's Wish Foundation's Teri Arychuk said the $5,000 donation will translate into one and a half wishes.

She said the average wish costs about $3,000 and ranges from a trip to the ocean to a new mountain bike.

In the Northwest Territories, some children use their wish to fly extra family members to visit them in southern hospitals.

Arychuk's own son was granted his wish -- a mountain bike -- several years ago when he had leukemia.

"I'm very fortunate that he's still with me. I'm one of the lucky ones. He beat it."

The Legion also donated $1,500 to the Yellowknife Co-op Chargers minor hockey team, $5,500 to the Yellowknife Seniors Society, and $5,000 to the SideDoor. And the Legion Ladies Auxiliary kicked in $4,100 to the SideDoor and $1,000 to the Stanton Hospital Foundation.

"Our motto is help the community," said the Legion's vice president Lloyd Lush. "By giving away a portion of our gaming money."