Salvation Army close to fundraising goal

Early in December, it looked like a bleak Christmas was in store for the local Salvation Army as donations were down from last year.
But by Christmas Eve, the generosity of district residents shone through and the red kettles were full.
“It went well. It went very, very, very well,” said Bernie Gagne, one of the soldiers at the Salvation Army here. “The people continue to be generous.”
Two weeks ago, the Salvation Army made a public appeal because it said donations had fallen short of last year. But by the morning of Christmas Eve, Gagne said they had raised $14,485.
“We’re only $500 away from our goal and we might get that today, or there still might be unexpected donations coming in the mail,” he enthused.
Part of the reason for the good news was a $6,000 donation from the local Canadian Tire store which helped bring donation levels back to normal.
Money from the 2001 Christmas campaign will be distributed to local families in need.
Gagne said the Salvation Army wanted to thank all those who contributed to its many campaigns this year.
That included those who donated and packed the 240 Christmas hampers, local businesses that gathered hundreds of mittens for the “Mittens for Kids” promotion, or the Thunder fans who threw about 1,200 stuffed animals on the ice during a recent game as part of the “Teddy Bear Toss.”
“We need to be thankful of the generosity of all the volunteer people and people who make donations of all sort—food, money, and time,” he said.
Gagne said everyone at the Salvation Army was so pleased district residents continued to support their efforts.
“It’s been a very good Christmas, after all,” he remarked.