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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

After all these years, the need is still great

By: Mike Ward

23/12/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

It's that time of year again.

Time to write a column on my favourite Christmastime subject. Money. Money. Money. That's money from you to my favourite charity fundraiser, and I don't have to remind you which one I am talking about.

The rules haven't changed. Just give or send your cash, money, loot -- call it what you will -- to places I'll mention later in the column and to the Free Press, but be sure to mark it Pennies from Heaven.

Got that?

Some of you may remember the first column I wrote when I worked for the Free Press. It was a few years ago now.

But what's so encouraging is that the children who were six, seven or eight years old then are now in their late teens. They are ready, willing and certainly able to collect. And they do. Behind them, more kids, and behind them, even more youngsters.

What about the penny? There's been talk of removing it from our currency. Can you imagine that?

It's all nonsense.

Anyhow, a good many folks out there are sending more than pennies. In fact, people who are sending in pennies are also sending in nickels and dimes, loonies and toonies and cheques. Not bad, eh?

Things have changed since the first column was published in the Free Press.

Firstly, and most importantly, where you drop off the cash.

I'm reminded whenever I write "drop off" about the little girl who was carrying one or two bags full of coins to a local store when she slipped and all the pennies fell into the snow. She managed to dig most of them out, but had to leave some behind.

The most important drop-off place is Wal-Mart. The one my wife and I go to is on Portage Avenue. We were there just recently and the inside was loaded up with coins. I'm told the other spots in the city, including the Giant Penny in Portage Place, are also filling up.

The next most important stop is at the Free Press building on Mountain Avenue. Just take your loads of coins up there and they'll be well and truly looked after.

This year will be a record, I just know it.

So, it's that time of year again.

Time flies.

Doesn't it just?

OUR ANGELS THIS WEEK:

Beatrice Mackenzie

Evelyn Hecht

Cecile Alarie-Skene

Susan Chabot

In memory of Ken Ingram

from Bruce and Kay Ingram

Audrey MacKenzie

Janice Lawson

Patrick Wright

Jeannine and Louis Saurette

Janice and Kenneth Dunn

Edith and Carl Johnson

Annette Steadman

In memory of Zena Wolfson

C. and S.G. Forbes

Chloe Gawne

Nolan Gawne

Evelyn Gordon

Anonymous

Isobel and Mel McDonald

Tom Bailey

Margaret and William Bowman

Donna Thain

Caroline Larocque

Anonymous

Bernice Bell

Christine Simpson

William and Claudia Senkiw

Kathryn Bernard

How to donate

YOU can drop off coins, dollars or cheques at the Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave. We also have drop-off bins near the front entrance of every Wal-Mart store in the city, as well as a giant penny on the second floor of Portage Place.

You can also mail us a cheque made out to Pennies from Heaven, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, R2X 3B6.

You will get a charitable tax receipt from either the Christmas Cheer Board or Winnipeg Harvest.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 23, 2009 B3

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