Ten apply for Safeway charity Decision to be made Wednesday

Friday was the deadline for non-profit organizations to apply to be the charity of the year for local Canada Safeway employees.
Staff now will vote on submissions, with a decision expected Wednesday.
“I got 10 applications in,” said Safeway employee Vilma Valenzuela, who heads up fundraising for the store here.
“There’s a few interesting charities among them,” she added. “I’ve put them all together in a package and have been asking employees to take a look over them.
“But it’s hard with everyone working different shifts.”
Valenzuela noted all Safeway staff will vote on the charity they think is best, with the ballots to be counted Wednesday afternoon. The deadline to get information on the store’s choice to head office is Thursday.
Valenzuela noted fundraising for the selected charity will start as early as next month.
“We already have some days scheduled for our ‘Charity Checkouts’ in November, along with a dress-down day,” she said. “And after a charity is chosen, we’ll talk with them and go over ideas for more fundraising.”
Since first adopting charities in 1998, local Safeway employees have helped raise money for the Riverside Foundation for Health Care, Friends of the Library, Fort Frances Friends of Animals, the “Community Chest,” and the Kiwanis skate park.