Leprechaun Joe Hittel (left) and Robert Bevins of Bulldog Metals celebrate a $10,000 donation by Bevins's business to Make-A-Wish on June 28, 2022. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

lucky man

‘Leprechaun Joe’ gets $10,000 from Bulldog Metals for Make-A-Wish

Jun 28, 2022 | 3:24 PM

A leprechaun from Red Deer, known for being the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s top Canadian fundraiser — found a pot of gold on Tuesday.

Joe Hittel, 87, and well-known for his daring Rope for Hope rappels in his lucky green costume for Make-A-Wish over the last four years, received a $10,000 donation from a local business today.

Bulldog Metals was making the donation to Hittel for the third straight year.

President/Owner Robert Bevins says Hittel’s story immediately struck him back in the early days of his fundraising.

“I met Joe four years ago, and his wife had recently passed away. I thought, ‘This is a man on a mission’ and ‘How can we help him?’ I thought, ‘Well, let’s give him some money since he’s trying to make a wish happen,'” says Bevins, who challenges other businesses to make a contribution to Make-A-Wish.

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“The business community has supported us since I started this business, and I think it’s important to help the community. When you’ve been blessed in business, you want to try and give back.”

Bulldog’s $10,000 is about what it takes to grant one wish. Hittel has raised, however, more than $140,000 over his four rappel years, and will add at least $20,000 this year.

That is despite Make-A-Wish discontinuing the annual Rope for Hope fundraiser to move ahead with newer events.

“When Bulldog made their first donation to me, it just floored me,” says Hittel, reminiscing about his journey. “I was sitting at home back in April 2018, and this rappeling idea just popped into my mind. I don’t know where it came from. I originally wanted to skydive, but my family wasn’t very approving.”

They weren’t overly keen on rappeling either, he jokes.

“When I saw our friend Anakin, who got his wish from my fundraising a few years ago, have this look of happiness… well, his mother tells me it changed their whole life,” he says. “They went to Disney World and one day while there, Anakin had said, ‘I wish Joe was here.’ It’s put me to tears knowing the difference I’ve made, and I’ve shed a lot of them over the years.”

To make a donation to Joe Hittel’s Make-A-Wish fundraising, contact 403-872-0329.

READ MORE: ‘Leprechaun’ Joe Hittel honoured for huge 2020 Make-A-Wish contribution