On Saturday, September 19, Cal and Mel Anderson hosted their 6th Annual Charity Car Show and Collection Tour, to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan.

Anderson Auto & Memorabilia Collection, located just east of Moose Jaw, played host to just shy of 300 attendees and 70 classic cars, raising $9000 for Ronald McDonald House (RMH) while entertaining the crowd with music, food vendors, prizes, and tours of their vast collection.

“We’ve met so many incredible people that are so generous and so kind and all their love and support for our cause, for Ronald McDonald House,” said Mel Anderson, co-owner of Anderson Auto & Memorabilia Collection.

Although they don’t yet know the grand total raised this season, they’ve already surpassed last year’s total, thanks largely to the recent Western Canadian Nationals Car Show (WCN), hosted at the same location. The event raised a whopping $72,690 for RMH in just two days. To put that into perspective, the Andersons raised a still impressive $52,060 over a period of six months the previous year.

The grand total for the season will be tallied on November 7 when they, along with a group of friends, will count the “jug money,” funds accumulated from private tours of their own collection, all of which will also go to RMH. The Anderson collection features countless artifacts, all of them historically significant to Moose Jaw and surrounding areas, and is growing all the time.

“After the big WCN we’ve had many people come forward and say, ‘I’d like to donate this,’” Anderson said. “So we try to find space in our building, and sometimes that’s a challenge, but we’re always adding. We preserve Moose Jaw history.”

Though not the largest car show they’ve ever hosted, one of the standout vehicles at the event surely was one of the largest.

“Two months ago, Dallas Baillie phoned me and he said, ‘Mel, we bought a monster truck!” Anderson said with a laugh. “Can we attend the car show?”

The truck is called Sheer Insanity and lived up to its name, towering above the competition and impressing the crowd.

“People were just extremely thrilled,” Anderson said. “They were our celebrities.”

The Baillie family of Baillie Boys Towing, attend the car show each year, donating merchandise such as kids Hot Wheels toys, mugs and hats to give away, and this year they sold T-shirts and hoodies, 100% of the proceeds from which went to Ronald McDonald House.

“They’re really good humans, they’re an amazing family,” Anderson said. “We’re just very honored that they support us.”

Another highlight of the day was a bittersweet one. In addition to the People’s Choice Award, Participant’s Choice Award and Ronald’s Choice Award, this year featured a Memorial Award in honour of their good friend Harvey Moran, who passed away in January of 2026. His family was in attendance and chose the car to receive the award in his name.

“That was extremely emotional,” Anderson said. “That was a real honour to be able to have the family here and pick their vehicle for their dad.”

Moran was a popular Moose Jaw resident and owner of Hair Design Unlimited and, later, The Academies cosmetology training facility, and was also a 30-year member of the Moose Jaw Shrine Club and heavily involved in the community.

Anderson fought back tears as she discussed where the funds raised will go, and how important it is for families to be able to stay with their loved one while they receive treatment in hospital.

“When your kid is sick and you don’t have to worry about a financial burden – that’s our goal. Just so the families can look after their children and not worry about how they’re going to pay a bill. That’s why Cal and I do what we do.”

The Andersons have a very personal connection to Ronald McDonald House. Mel’s nephew was severely injured in an ATV accident about 19 years ago, leading to a lengthy hospital stay.

“If it wasn’t for Ronald McDonald House, my sister and brother-in-law would not have been able to stay, because it’s a financial burden,” Anderson said.

Then in 2017, the daughter of a longtime employee of Cal’s was diagnosed with leukemia, and her family utilized Ronald McDonald House for a total of 191 days in order to stay close to her as she underwent treatment.

Karen Linsley, Director of Development and Communications with Ronald McDonald House, has been thrilled with the Andersons’ contributions over the years, and the car shows in particular have been enjoyed by all.

“We always have staff fighting over who gets to go,” Linsley laughed. “Because it’s just such a great day and way to be involved in the mission.

“They have an amazing group of friends and volunteers that come to support the event. It’s so well-run, so organized, and there’s just so much incredible things to see. And they do this all in support of Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan, to support Saskatchewan families, which is incredible.”

Ronald McDonald House provides not only housing for families of patients, but also three meals a day, shuttle rides and programming within the house including pet therapy and art therapy.

“So the funds that are raised really go to the general operations of making sure we can relieve some of those barriers for families when they’re going through very difficult times,” Linsley said. “They can take a breath, they can focus on the care and the well-being of their child, and we can kind of take care of them while they’re staying with us.”

Linsley helped paint a picture of just how much one car show will help the families of sick and injured children.

“If you were to take that $9000 and divide it by $10 per night (the suggested nightly room contribution) that’s over 900 nights of care that Mel and Cal have been able to support families while they’re staying at Ronald McDonald House. So it’s a pretty significant gift,” she said.

Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan serves 1200 to 1500 families every year for an average stay of seven to ten nights per family. Twenty to 25% of funding comes from McDonald’s owners and operators across Saskatchewan, and the rest comes from the generosity of donors such as the Andersons.

“So it is really crucial to the operations and sustainability of our organization,” Linsley said. She had nothing but glowing praise for the Andersons, who have become far more to them than donors.

“They are great friends, great community supporters, and very humble people that have chosen Ronald McDonald House. And we’re just so glad that they’ve been able to share this amazing car show and their collectibles with others, and we’re just so grateful for the friendship that we have with them.”

Other upcoming fundraisers for Ronald McDonald House include the House Party, taking place October 29 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, in the AGT Lounge, featuring food, silent auctions and trivia.

“Really just a great opportunity in a casual setting to get together and learn a little bit about Ronald McDonald House and the house that we’re building in Regina, as well as the house in Prince Albert that we’re building,” Linsley added.

To host or take part in an event, make a donation to RMH Saskatchewan, volunteer or simply learn more about the organization go to www.rmh.sk.ca.

By Annie Savage

For Moose Jaw Express