It is the final push for the annual Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle campaign.
Lieutenant Ian Robinson of the Bracebridge unit says the wet weather has kept the numbers of people visiting stores down a bit, but overall donations are on par or a bit better than previous years.
“We have noticed in the last couple of days the rain has dampened the festive spirit a little bit,” Robinson says.
He says that over the years the people of the area have been consistently generous.
“We have goals that we look to hit and we can’t rely on it but we know this is a very generous community,” he notes. “It’s always amazing to see that they answer the call every year to be generous in the community.”
The hours have been extended for bell ringers the next few days says Robinson. The Kettle Volunteers will be out for extra hours between now and Christmas Eve. Today through Sunday volunteers will be out from 10:00am to 6:00pm each day and 10:00am to 2:00pm on Christmas Eve.
“What we have noticed is the days leading up to Christmas people are more generous,” he says. “But we’re really hoping the community will answer the call again and we appreciate all that the community does for the Salvation Army.”
You can find Kettles at the following locations:
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Bracebridge
Canadian Tire
Independent Grocer
LCBO
Walmart
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Gravenhurst
Canadian Tire
Independent Grocer
LCBO
Sobeys
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