Christmas came early for the Sooke Christmas Bureau, as it received a $36,000 donation on Thursday.
The Sooke Firefighter’s Association and IAFF Local 4841 presented a cheque totalling $36,735.87 to the volunteers that prepare hundreds of care hampers during the holidays for those in need.
Heather Lane, with IAFF Local 4841 and a Sooke firefighter, says she watched with tears in her eyes as young children brought handfuls of coins to the firetrucks during the Santa Run on Dec. 12. The drive-by event raised more than $11,000 in one night.
She expressed her gratitude for the community, as firefighters set a goal of $15,000 for the holiday season.
Drumroll, please... #Sooke, as a community through the Sooke Firefighter’s Assn & IAFF Local 4841 Campaign you raised $36,735.87 for the Sooke Christmas Bureau. With tremendous gratitude, your contributions were presented to the Sooke Food Bank today: https://t.co/M5xcydsBrM pic.twitter.com/yz4TD0mMRR
— SookeCa (@SookeCa) December 17, 2020
READ MORE: Sooke council donates $10,000 to food bank
“Sooke is extremely generous, and we’ve seen it proven time and time again,” said Ben Molesky, co-chair for Sooke Christmas Bureau. “Even though we don’t have large corporations to sponsor us, we get by with the help of everyone, from all walks of life.”
Molesky estimates that last year’s donations totalled between $20,000 and $25,000, as they received countless non-perishable food items.
In addition to this campaign, Sooke council made a $10,000 contribution toward the Sooke Food Bank and Mayor Maja Tait recently won a $3,000 donation through a campaign hosted by Fortis BC and the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities.
Looking ahead, a team of volunteers will set out on Dec. 19 and 20 to hand out around 300 holiday hampers in and around the Sooke region.
ALSO READ: Sooke grocery store donates $5,000 worth of food for holiday hampers
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.