Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 21, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle program will be returning to the streets of Yellowknife on Nov. 30.

"We'll be out in our locations beginning Friday," said Cheryl Thomas, special events co-ordinator with the Salvation Army.

Lona Hegeman rings the bell for the Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Program last year. The money raised goes towards the Salvation Army's hamper program and other year-round programs. - NNSL file photo

Thomas said they would be having a kickoff campaign at City Hall on Nov. 26, and they also had a kettle out during the Santa Claus parade.

The locations of the kettles will be the same as in previous years she said: at Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire and at the downtown liquor store.

The Salvation Army does not have a goal set for this year's Christmas Kettle Program. The funds raised will go towards getting the Christmas hampers together.

She said that this year approximately 500 hampers are needed. Out of those hampers, 175 will be going out to communities in the territory.

"The need doesn't stop at Christmas (however)," added Thomas.

Companies, organizations and schools can also choose to adopt a family and put together their own hamper.

St. Patrick high school has adopted 25 families this year, one of their highest numbers yet.

"We're very sensitive that there may be students here that are recipients of the hampers. So we request families that don't have children over the age of 12," said Susan Huvenaars, the bridges co-ordinator at St. Patrick.

The aim is to prevent students from delivering hampers to classmates.

This year the hairdressing class is giving up their lunch hours to cut hair, and the money raised will go towards two families, Huvenaars said.

She said typically most classes only adopt one family.

She said that the school has been involved in the adopt-a-family program for several years, and that their participation is motivated partly because of Yellowknifers.

"The community as a whole is so generous with our students, whether it's (something like) volunteers coming in to help teach volleyball," she said. "This is our way to give back to our community and say thank you."

Huvenaars said giving out the hampers is a moving experience for the students and staff involved.

"There's always stories we hear every year where the little person will see something like a can of peanut butter and go 'oh mommy, mommy we have peanut butter,'" she said.

"We say everyone can make a difference. We don't always have to do great big things to make a difference."

Students work together as a class to buy gifts for each of the members of the family receiving their hamper.

Huvenaars said one of her favourite parts is the assembly the school holds in the gymnasium with everything collected.

"It's just a huge pile of stuff that needs to be delivered," said Huvenaars. "It's a very positive thing, it's a very happy time for us. It's a very powerful thing, and we celebrate and we congratulate the students."