Fill the Bus campaign ready to roll
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2021 (1439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Brandon and Westman Christmas Cheer Board will host the Fill the Bus campaign Saturday for the first time since the start of COVID-19.
Christmas Cheer board member Jim Cobb said the volunteer crew is excited to see the return of the Christmas Cheer staple fundraiser at Sobeys West on Saturday and Safeway on Dec. 4.
It was a “gut-wrenching” decision to cancel the event last year, and volunteers are looking forward to getting back into the community, reconnecting with others and helping spread holiday cheer.
“We have wonderful support from Safeway and Sobeys, as well as Brandon Transit who initiated the fundraiser several years ago,” Cobb said. “Ever since then, we’ve come to rely on the donations that we get on that bus to do what we do here — provide Christmas hampers for the needy folks in Brandon.”
For those who visit Fill the Bus, they will be able to bear witness to the awesome sight of a community coming together to stock a full-size city transit bus that can seat about 46 passengers with donations. Cobb said the bus will be easy to spot as a giant banner and volunteers will be on-site to accept contributions from community members.
“They will be dressed in their Santa hats graciously accepting donations,” Cobb said. He noted volunteers will be practising social distancing and wearing masks while accepting donations.
For those looking to support Fill the Bus, staple donations for the charity include canned soup and baby food, items that are always in high demand; all other non-perishable food items are also welcomed.
Cobb said COVID-19 had a devastating economic impact in town, and the Christmas Cheer Board is expecting to see one of its busiest years to date.
As part of this year’s festive celebrations, the non-profit is looking to raise at least $45,000 to support the creation of Christmas hampers.
Cobb estimates volunteers will put together and deliver at least 1,000 hampers this holiday season.
The team recently completed wrapping Christmas gifts and will begin packing hampers on Monday.
The hampers are delivered over three sessions by volunteers starting on Dec. 15 and ending on the morning of Dec. 16.
He said Christmas Cheer has added a fun new project to its roster this year, the Adopt a Family program. Through the fundraiser, families can sponsor those in need, build their hamper of treats and needs based on guidelines provided by Christmas Cheer, add in their personal touches and deliver the basket to a sponsored family.
“You make the hamper, you pay for it, and you deliver it,” Cobb said. “It gets more community involvement in it and lets people share the joy.”
To participate in the program, call the Christmas Cheer board at 204-727-8933 or email xmaschr@gmail.com to get information on providing food items and gifts in a hamper for a registered Christmas Cheer family.
“It’s a new concept that United Way did last year when we were unable [to deliver hampers] because of COVID,” Cobb said. “They were very successful at that and we want to learn and build from what we learned last year.”
Sobeys South has also thrown its support behind the Christmas Cheer board this year and is offering to build hampers for the Adopt a Family program.
General donations to Christmas Cheer can be made by dropping by the Christmas Cheer office with a cheque or cash, at The Brandon Sun or on the Christmas Cheer webpage. Charity receipts are available.
Funds raised are used to support the operating budget of the charity. Donations help purchase groceries for hampers and ensure the organization is ready to hit the ground running each holiday season.
“That’s how we’re able to succeed through the generosity of Westman,” Cobb said.
The Fill the Bus campaign will take place at Sobeys West this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at Safeway on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the event, the bus will be in the parking lot and volunteers will accept non-perishable food items and toy donations for the Christmas Cheer project.
The holiday donation collections culminate with the Wheat Kings Teddy Bear toss on Dec. 11.
» ckemp@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp