Over $2,000 was raised during the tenth annual Kids’ Holiday Store Fundraiser, which will be used to support the Gifts of Kindness basic needs program.
Throughout Saturday afternoon, children were able to cross Christmas gifts off their list for everyone in their family with the help of volunteer elves.
“Kiddos lined up to enter the store, shop with an elf, and warp their presents to give out during the holidays,” said the Manager of Community Support Services for the City of Chestermere Danielle Fermin.
While children shopped, parents could wait in the parent café, enjoy coffee and hot chocolate from Tim Horton’s or popcorn from the Real Estate REP’s Group/REMAX Frist.
Although the City of Chestermere had to scale the annual Kids’ Holiday Store Fundraiser back due to fewer donations, the tickets for the event sold out.
“Our first shopping slot sold out within 24 hours,” Fermin said.
She added, there were three shopping slots throughout the afternoon where 50 to 60 children could holiday shop.
For Fermin, a highlight of the Kids’ Holiday Store Fundraiser is seeing all of the mini shoppers excited, and excited to give back to the community, while gaining independence and learning decision making skills.
The Kids’ Holiday Store Fundraiser is the Gifts of Kindness largest fundraising event that supports local families throughout the year.
“Without the Kids’ Holiday Store, we’re not able to meet our annual campaign goal. It’s also an opportunity for us to promote that awareness that there are local families who are needing support throughout the year, not just during the holidays,” Fermin said.
The funds raised from the purchase of every gift at the Kids’ Holiday Store assist families with purchasing groceries throughout the year, paying for utilities, medications, or emergency situations that are not covered by regional or provincial grants.
This year, the City of Chestermere partnered with the Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA) during the annual Community Christmas Party.
“We’ve had a lot of good feedback because we’re in a new venue, parents are quite happy about the setup, we have a lot more volunteers and the flow went really well,” Fermin said.
“We made a lot of improvements,” she said.
Once the little shoppers had all of the gifts for their family members picked out, they were able to watch entertainment and make a variety of crafts at the CRCA Community Christmas Party.
Throughout the day, the Chestermere High School Band, Chestermere Soundwaves, and MLA Leela Aheer performed.
The Chestermere RCMP and Synergy gave out positive tickets while local organizations provided crafts and activities for children to do.
“It was a really fun day. It went great. Everybody was happy and in a good mood,” said the Recreation Program Coordinator Vicki Klinger.
Not only was the CRCA Community Christmas Party an opportunity for families to spend the day together, but it also gave parents a chance to visit with friends or neighbours they haven’t seen in a while.
“People came here and saw neighbours or friends that they haven’t seen for a while. They visited, relaxed, and had a coffee,” Klinger said.
“There is always so much hustle and bustle during Christmas, and it’s nice to have something where they can come to and relax,” she said.
“People are looking for a sense of community. People like to feel part of the community, and things like this help do that,” Klinger added. “There’s always a lot to do here.”
Without the continued support of the community, volunteers, and local organizations, the Kids’ Holiday Store Fundraiser and the CRCA Community Christmas Party wouldn’t have been possible.
“Thank you to the community for their ongoing support,” Fermin said.
The City of Chestermere accepts donations to Gifts of Kindness year-round.
