Saskatchewan family fights cystic fibrosis with thousands of butter tarts

One Saskatchewan family is undertaking a big task this holiday season, baking thousands of butter tarts to raise money for cystic fibrosis.

The Big Butter Tart Bake for Cystic Fibrosis is now in its fifth year, and on Tuesday, several volunteers helped turn Weyburn’s McKenna Hall into Santa’s workshop, baking more than 13,000 tarts.

“The nice thing is that the community has heard about it and we have businesses that have stepped up and provided monetary donations to cover our supplies and cover the cost of renting the hall,” Mike Weger said.

Because everything is donated, Weger says each dollar raised goes directly to Cystic Fibrosis Canada (CF), a cause close to the family’s heart.

Their 13-year-old daughter Teresa was diagnosed with CF, a genetic disease impacting the lungs and digestive system, when she was just two and a half years old.

Since the Wegers started the initiative, they’ve raised more than $75,000, but it wouldn’t be possible without the help of family and friends.

While there is no cure for CF, the money raised goes towards research, with the hope that one day a cure will be found.

“We like to think as a family, if she sees us working hard for a cure or control that, that’s going to give her the hope to know that eventually she’s going to have better health medically to keep her healthy as well,” Weger said.

As the initiative has grown over the years, the Wegers now deliver to several cities, spanning from Regina to Saskatoon.