Dorothy Wikstrom (left) and her husband John (left) received the Jim Thompson Award for their years of volunteer work for the Special Olympics in January (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff).

By Mat Barrett

Year in Review

Sports Year in Review: Wikstrom’s impact felt around Melfort

Dec 28, 2019 | 12:01 PM

northeastNOW is taking a look back at the biggest and most interesting sports stories of 2019, as selected by our sports reporters Mat Barrett and Aaron Schulze:

–

A Melfort couple’s impact felt across the community makes this year’s list.

Back in November of 2018, John and Dorthy Wikstrom were honoured with the Jim Thompson Award from Special Olympics Canada in recognition of their volunteer work. There was a gala to honour them and other award winners, but the Wikstroms couldn’t go. Instead, Melfort honoured the couple at the Melfort Curling Club in January where they were finally presented with the award.

Dorothy said in January, her time as a volunteer has been an amazing experience.

Health

Saskatchewan warned of helium supply cut because of Middle East war

23h ago

Out of this World

WATCH: Canadian Space Agency's first space to Earth video call with Jeremy Hansen

Apr 04, 2026

Iran War

Iran calls on public to find 'enemy pilot' as U.S. continues frantic search

Apr 04, 2026

“I love these guys,” she said. “I’ve learned to work with them at the group home where I worked. They’d come to the group home and we’d have meetings with Special Olympics. I went on all the committees. I’ve done a lot of fundraising. It’s just wonderful.”

Dorothy had been volunteering with Special Olympics since 1988, and John has been helping out since at least 1994 for a combined over 54 years of volunteering. One of their biggest accomplishments has been their work in starting the curling program in Saskatchewan in 1999.

John called his time working with Special Olympics very memorable.

“Working with these people is unreal,” John told northeastNOW. “They are unreal and they remember you forever and always have a smile.”

Unfortunately however, Dorothy passed away on May 19, 2019, sending the Melfort Curling, and Special Olympics community into mourning.

Brad Kjelshus, Vice-Chair of the Melforty Curling Club Board said what he’ll remember most about Dorothy is her complete dedication to the Special Olympics athletes and everyone she worked with at the group home.

“It was so important to her to treat everybody the same and try to take some of that stigma away,” he said. “If somebody is a special athlete or participant, they’re just one of the guys like everybody else. It’s hard to find people – it doesn’t matter if it’s in sports or that kind of thing – that has that undivided dedication to something.”

Dorothy was 78 years old.

–

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6