Canadian Tire stores helping to bring Cheer
Winnipeg outlets gladly donate $36,000 to Free Press Xmas fundraiser
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/12/2017 (2902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Canadian Tire says in its advertisements it has everything you would need for the holidays — but it also helps give everything the hungry in our community would need for the holiday.
Six local Canadian Tire stores have banded together this year to donate money to the Christmas Cheer Board through the Free Press’ Miracle on Mountain fundraiser. (Don’t worry — the seventh store in Winnipeg isn’t a Grinch. It donates directly to the Cheer Board.)
The donors
A complete list of the donors to Miracle on Mountain
Canadian Tire Corp., $36,000
Paul’s Hauling employees, $1,500
In memory of Earle & Sadie Preston, $500
In memory of Heather Swain, $175
In memory of Betty & Stewart, $100
Matt & Alice Kuczer, $100
In memory of Neil, $50
In memory of Terry Morrow, $100
In memory of Grant Holmes, $100
Reuben & Beatrice Priddle, $40
Janet Norris, $100
Claudia & Jonathan Schmidt, $25
Ronald W Buffie, $50
Jean & Janice Souque, $50
Patricia & George Robb, $100
In memory of Alex Logan, $100
WFP editorial department book sale, $1,372
Dakota Collegiate, $1,482.75
WFP editorial Bring Your Dogs to Work program, $70.95
In memory of Alexander Logie, $100
In memory of Fred Russin, $200
Anne & Edward Faseruk, $50
Mabel Smith, $100
Judy & Calvin Caughlin, $100
In memory of Scott & Doug McRorie, $100
Grand Trunk Nostalgia Club Inc, $1,000
In memory of Cooper Nemeth, $100
Lorne & Dixie Joyce Dawydiuk, $20
In memory of Norman & Buelah Woodcock, $300
In memory of Joe & Irma Arthurs, Ed Hilditch and Ron Bell, $400
In memory of Gordon & Barry Johnson, $100
Dorothy Brand, $75
Linus Endacott, $30
In memory of Mary Pawlosky, Johann & Ella Franz and Amalie Rupp, $200
In memory of Bruce Robinson, $200
Manitoba Metis Federation Inc., $5,000
Wes & Christine Schollenberg, $100
Lori Ranta-Rodrigues & Tony Rodrigues, $100
Brenda & Ray Crabbe, $100
Deanna Muller, $50
Ted Foreman, $100
Anny & Hugo Veldhuis, $120
Verna McEwen, $100
Robert & Miriam Whitely, $50
Robert & Sheila Cassie, $100
Ron & Joanne Kuhtey, $250
Joanne Heshka, $25
Ruth Moskal, $50
Walter & Eugenia Sahan, $50
M Elaine Dale, $25
T. Kent Morgan, $25
In memory of Trevor & Maisie Morgan, $25
In memory of Jim Gilroy, $20
In memory of Touring All-Stars we have lost, $20
In memory of Softball’s Vic Pidhirny, $20
In memory of Softball’s Cam Bouchard & Grant Riddell, $20
In memory of Kristen Howand, $10
In memory of Mike Burstow, $20
In memory of Danny Talnicoff, $20
In memory of Michael Park, $10
In memory of Jim Bernice, Murray, Joanne & Betty Guild, $30
In memory of Doris Millman, Frances Bowles, Elaine & David Wiebe, $30
Arlene Jones, $25
In memory of Phyllis Turnbull, $100
In memory of Lee Newton (founder of Wpg Harvest), $50
In memory of William & Charles Morrison, $250
Elizabeth McFarlane, $50
Marilyn Thompson, $500
The Knights of the Round Table, $210
Edith & Tom Checkley, $25
Gerry & Deborah Spindler, $100
Anne & Ross McIntyre, $50
In memory of Bob & Edith Turner, $25
In memory of Frank & Eilee Jones, $25
Gordon & Mildred Mills, $50
Donna Carruthers, $150
Roy & Virginia Johnson, $50
Roderick Feller, $100
Donalda Joan Hanke, $100
Deer Lodge Past, $50
Norwood Rebekah Lodge No. 42, $160
In memory of Mike O’Hara, $100
In memory of Kelsey Ann King, $113
Brenda & James Smith, $75
In memory of Sylvia Luba, $100
Margaret Morse, $200
Esther Klassen, $25
Kimberley & Robert Ranson, $25
Allan & Deborah Crump, $100
Norma Thofkelsson, $30
Geraldine Thorsteinson, $50
Robert Harder, $300
Russell Rosen, $50
Pamela Johnson, $50
Carol Cox, $100
Doreen Mork, $100
Carol Doerksen, $200
In memory of Lynne Pearson, $500
Bev Schubert, $500
In memory of Des Robinson, $100
Frank Mazur, $100
In memory of Fred Anderson, $100
In memory of Ann & Pete Lysy-Charle and Louise Allard, $150
Randall Hansford, $200
Denise Gagne, $20
Joan Porteous, $25
Lynn Kulbaba, $30
Marilyn McMullan, $50
Hank Krueger, $100
Robert Alison and Bob Darling, $100
In memory of Bruce T. Barr, $100
Craig and Mary Fardoe, $100
Pat Pollock, $100
Art and Allison Pearson, $100
In memory of John, Phyllis & Jack Scott and Mary & Lorky Holowka, $250
Donna Strang, $100
In memory of Elizabeth, Kathleen & Finley Scaife, $300
Lorraine E. Wagner, $50
Anonymous – 12 donations, $1,805
Today’s total: $54,378.70
Previous total: $26,974.60
Grand total: $81,353.30
The six stores (157 Vermillion Rd., 2305 McPhillips St., 3615 Portage Ave., 1080 Grant Ave., 1711 Kenaston Blvd., and 750 St. James St.) have donated $3,000 apiece to our fundraiser and — with a little seasonal magic — the donations have been matched by the Canadian Tire Corp. to bring the total tally to $36,000.
And, yes, if you’re wondering, that’s a lot of hampers.
How many? Well, the Cheer Board’s chief elf, Kai Madsen, says hampers can range from costing $60 for a single to $250 for a family of six or eight.
That means the generosity of Canadian Tire this year alone has sent 600 hampers to single people who need it. Or, at the high end, the retailer’s local stores have provided 144 hampers to a family of up to eight people.
That’s not all.
Whether it’s through our Miracle on Mountain campaign, or our earlier campaigns of Spirit of Christmas and Pennies from Heaven, the Canadian Tire stores have been donating collectively since 1998. In the past decade, they’ve rung up an astounding total of $282,000.
Once again, we’ll do the math: that’s 4,700 hampers to single people or 1,128 for a family of six or eight.
“They’ve certainly helped us with a lot of hampers,” Madsen said this week. “They’re one of our largest consistent donors.
“Without folks like Canadian Tire, we’d be out of business. But we’re also thankful to the nice person that gives us $20 or $50. Everything helps.”
Jay Crowley, owner of the Vermillion Road store, and Darren Rezansoff, owner of the Kenaston Boulevard store, say the generosity is not tied to wanting any free advertising. (Full disclosure: the Free Press came up with the idea of showcasing the donations in this column.)
“The Christmas Cheer Board melds the hampers with the toys. They put the joy in. Kai and his team have just been incredible. We’ll do this forever,” Crowley said.
“You have to give back to the community,” Rezansoff said. “And the easiest way to give back is to give to the charities that help the most. It’s an annual gift to the Cheer Board. It’s just our way of giving back.”
So the next time you’re in a Canadian Tire store and see an employee with a red shirt, you might want to tell them thanks.
Because, when it gets down to it, sometimes it’s not just Santa who wears red and brings joy to people.
···
Meanwhile, elves popped into the Free Press this week — but they weren’t from the North Pole.
These elves were from the Christmas Cheer Board and they came to pick up the pile of toys put under our Miracle on Mountain campaign Christmas tree by generous schools and classrooms — as well as by readers.
Whether it was stuffed animals or a Lego set with a Star Wars theme, the toys will thrill some girl or boy out there. So will the turkey dinner with all the fixings that comes in the hamper. We thank all who helped us fill the space beneath our tree.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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