A little bit of weight loss at Jasper’s Servus Credit Union turned into a $1,000 financial gain for the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives for an upcoming exhibit. Jenny Beallie, supervisor at Servus Credit Union, said the branch was inspired to loose weight by the television show ‘The Biggest Loser’ and encouraged other branches to get involved.

Each participant put $10 into a pot and half the money was to go to charity, said Beallie.

Between her and six colleagues the Jasper branch managed to lose 73 pounds, which was more than any of the other 55 competitors from 18 branches across Alberta.

For Karen Byers, the donation was an unexpected but welcome addition to help their upcoming exhibit in October. It will cover about one-quarter of the costs.

Titled “Wartime in Jasper”, the exhibit will feature stories and artifacts about the war. For example, the naming of Edith Cavell Mountain, the Lovat Scouts, Habbakuk, and the Victoria Cross Range.

One very special part of the exhibit is a collection of embroidered postcards that were made by Robert Edward Richardson during the war.

With tiny pinpoint precision embroidery one postcard reads “To My Dear Wife.”

While Richardson served in First and Second World War, the couple lived from May-September 1933-36 at Jasper National Park’s East Gate, where Richardson was a Gate Keeper.

The exhibit will run from Oct. 8 to Nov. 15, 2009.