Council kicks off Christmas kettle
Salvation Army campaign aims to raise $45,000
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Christmas may be over a month away, but city council has kicked off the spirit of the season by making the first donations to the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Kettle campaign.
Deputy mayor Adrian Bell shakes hands with Salvation Army executive director Lt. Dusty Sauder after helping the organization kick off its Christmas Kettle campaign with the first donation at city hall on Monday. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo |
"I'd just like to thank you very much for the work your organization does," deputy mayor Adrian Bell told the organization's executive director Lt. Dusty Sauder at a Municipal Services Committee meeting Monday.
"It's incredibly important and valuable."
Sauder was on hand with his Christmas kettle to celebrate the campaign's kick-off.
This year, the organization hopes to raise $45,000 locally through the campaign.
The Salvation Army aimed to raise $40,000 in Yellowknife last year and came in just under its target with $39,000 in donations.
"Those funds go to support primarily the Christmas hamper program," Sauder said.
"Part of that campaign involves many tireless hours of many wonderful volunteers."
Roughly 400 hours of volunteer work goes into manning kettles and raising funds for the campaign, Sauder said, adding there is still a need for more helping hands.
"That program gave last year to 279 households here in Yellowknife and the immediate surrounding area, and on top of that an additional 240 households that were located through nine communities throughout the territory," he said.
Once they're filled with food and goods, hampers are loaded onto planes and delivered to communities with the help of the RCMP, the Department of National Defence and Air Tindi, Sauder told Yellowknifer.
Nearly $10,000 worth of turkeys was purchased last week towards those hampers, "and then the toys are the gravy on top," he said.
"Three-hundred and thirteen kids last year received toys from the Salvation Army through the support of those who donate to us, bring toys in."
The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign is an annual cross-Canada initiative that raises money to help alleviate poverty. In a news release, Sauder stated demand is up this year for their services.
"This year our shelter is housing an additional eight individuals per night, on average, compared to 2015," he stated.
According to the organization, Christmas kettles are set up in more than 2,000 places across the country during the Christmas season.
"It's a wonderful thing to be able to make people's Christmases," Sauder said.
The Salvation Army is putting kettles at Walmart, Canadian Tire and both liquor stores starting Thursday. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 23. People can also donated online at fillthekettle.com.
