Those Christmas lights always do so much to lift people's spirits during the dark, cold month of December.
In St. Albert, two separate neighbourhoods are turning the switch on their lights to not only bring some much-needed festive cheer – they're also doing so in an attempt to bolster the coffers for two very important local charities.
Elliot Place is once again hosting its blockbuster light up but will be throwing the switch a little earlier than usual. It will start on Friday, Nov. 27, even though it's usually a December-only event.
"We're starting actually a little bit earlier because we feel sorry for everybody right now, and it's a great opportunity to get out and walk around," explained Jackie Selles, remembering that the annual event actually started because some of the men on the block were a little competitive and tried to outdo each other with dazzling displays.
"I'm a big charity supporter, so I thought, 'Why don't we do what they do on Candy Cane Lane in Edmonton and we'll collect for the food bank?' We've been doing that ... it must be for at least 10 years now. Last year was just awesome because the weather was so great. We collected 2,500 pounds of food."
The display will still continue through all of December. At the same time that people are getting out and walking around the block to catch some of the spectacular sights at all 17 houses on the street, there will also be a drop-off bin at #9 Elliot for people to make donations of non-perishable food and personal care items for the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village.
More lights, more action
New to the scene is Christmas in the Park, an initiative started by Zach Holmes, a Grade 8 student at W.D. Cuts Junior High School. His idea is to have the neighbours who ring around Noble Park in Northridge from 5 to 10 p.m. every night from Tuesday, Dec. 1, through to Saturday, Jan. 5.
At the same time, he wanted people to have the chance to donate to Stop Abuse in Families, explained his father, Thomas Holmes.
"Obviously COVID has hit and impacted a lot of different families in different ways. Zach came up with this idea to create a bit of Christmas spirit, but then also hopefully create an opportunity that people would recognize the kind of work that SAIF does. I think they do really great work all the time, but specifically, right now, there are families that are really struggling and so certainly their supports are needed," he said.
SAIF provides counselling and supports to people experiencing difficulties in their relationships.
Several local businesses have donated funding for signage around the park as well. People who wish to learn more about the project can call 780-237-6283. For more information on SAIF, please call 780-460-2195 or visit stopabuse.ca.
U of A group filling the grocery cart ... with kids
There's only one more day before the Children Believe Students' Association ends its unique and fun drive to help the Edmonton Food Bank with food and funds, as well as collecting clothing for homeless shelters.
It has partnered with Meyokumin Elementary School for the effort. The goal is to create a fun, spirit-filled event in which the children will give back to the community while participating in a friendly competition to win prizes. Three hundred students are striving to raise the most food bank items.
Over the past three years, the group has hosted multiple fundraisers, including charity basketball tournaments, paint nights, movie nights and bottle drives, all enabling it to donate thousands of dollars to children in need all over the world. It is an affiliate of ChildFund International, also known as Children Believe.
The campaign ends on Thursday, Nov. 26. People can email the group at [email protected] to learn more.
Hockey-themed fundraiser in Morinville
Andrew Webb Carpentry Services has a new fundraiser to support the Adopt-a-Family Christmas campaign in Morinville.
The Puck Drop event will have 225 numbered pucks dropped from the top of the Morinville Fire Department Ladder Truck. The five pucks that land closest to the target on the ground will win cash prizes of $500 for the one that's closest to the centre, and four $250 prizes for the next four closest pucks.
Each puck costs $20 and all the proceeds will go to the MMM Adopt-a-Family campaign, which will be working in conjunction with the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation this year.
Pucks can be purchased online by visiting https://forms.gle/fUaYCRn3UJgNwwBv6. They will be on sale until Friday, Nov. 27, unless they sell out all 225 pucks first.
The big Puck Drop event will also be streaming live on Facebook and Instagram. Call 780-970-7632 or email [email protected] to learn more.
