Breakfast serves up record donation
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The Christmas Cheer Breakfast Committee has made a record-breaking donation of $2,327.10 to the Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer program, with the cheque officially presented on Friday at the Christmas Cheer Workshop.
The funds were raised through the committee’s annual Christmas Cheer Breakfast, held on Nov. 29 at The Eagles Nest Bar and Grill.
The community fundraiser featured a $25 breakfast with a silent auction, ticket raffle and a 50/50 draw, all contributing to the “most successful year” to date, committee co-chair Len Isleifson told the Sun on Sunday.
Christmas Cheer Breakfast Committee co-chairs Len Isleifson (second right) and Barb Andrew (left) present a cheque to Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer vice-president Myrna Lane (second left) on Friday afternoon. (Submitted)
“This is the highest amount we’ve ever done,” he said. “Previous totals had topped out at about $1,500. We wanted to use this year to set a baseline, and now our baseline is about $2,300. That gives us something to build on moving forward.”
Isleifson credited early planning and strong outreach for the jump in proceeds.
“Getting tickets out early, getting the word out, and recruiting people to help sell tickets really made the difference,” he said. “Once ticket sales started, the calls kept coming in, especially as we got closer to the date. People heard about it and were ready to act.”
He said the result exceeded expectations. “I was hoping we could at least match what we’ve done in the past, but this just blew my mind,” Isleifson said.
According to the committee, planning is already underway for next year’s event. The group has rebooked The Eagles Nest Bar and Grill for the last Saturday in November, with an eye toward modest growth while maintaining what has proven to work.
“We’ll increase the space a bit so we can sell more tickets, but we want to be careful not to overdo it,” Isleifson said. “Our focus is to raise money for Christmas Cheer. With ticket sales, the 50/50 and the silent auction, we’ve got a good base we can build on year after year.”
At Friday’s presentation, Isleifson and co-chair Barb Andrew were joined by committee members Jeff Harwood and Robert Harrison.
The Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer thanked the committee and the community for their continued support, its vice-president, Myrna Lane, said.
“The need in our community continues to grow, and every dollar makes a difference,” Lane said. “We are so thankful to the Christmas Cheer Breakfast Committee for their commitment to helping us deliver hampers, toys and warm holiday memories to families who need it most.”
The Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer program provides festive hampers, toys and support to families and individuals across the region, helping ensure no one is left behind during the holiday season.
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