Xmas spirit burning bright

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/12/2011 (5368 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a most welcome sight after a week-long vacation.

My first day back to work, and the manila envelope on my desk contained a whack of cash.

Well, it was actually a bunch of cheques. And, they weren’t actually for me. They were actually for a good cause (LOL).

There had been some concern donations were lagging in our annual Spirit of Christmas campaign that aids the Christmas Cheer Board, but the manila envelope and a flurry of donations from our devoted readers has brought our numbers up to just about $87,000.

“That’s awesome, great work, that’s super,” the ever-optimistic Cheer Board chief Kai Madsen said Friday.

Kai and his gang down at the Cheer Board office were winding down their annual hamper operation on Friday. Only a few of the nearly 19,500 hampers were left to be picked up or delivered — the best Madsen had seen in quite some time.

Of course, many thanks to all of you included in today’s list of donors, and to those previously listed, but I thought I would send a special shout-out to some notable contributions.

The largest cheque in the envelope was from our good friends at Canadian Tire. Jay Crowley and his fellow store owners and managers have again come though big time with a $25,000 donation.

Also, special thanks to the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 511 ($1,000), Construction & Specialized Workers’ Union Local 1258 ($1,000), International Association of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers L.U. #728 ($300), Letitia Theta Rho Girls Club No. 1 ($322) and the Manitoba Metis Federation Inc. ($4,000). You all helped make that envelope bulge.

And finally, a special thanks to Bruce Johnson. The former owner-manager of the legendary Marble Club drops off a cheque and a box of chocolates each year that always reminds me of what it means to be consistently generous.

It’s been quite a year here in the Toy Department with the NHL and the Jets returning, the Bombers advancing to the Grey Cup, and many more notable stories and performances. We hope you have enjoyed reading about it here on our pages as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing the news to you.

On behalf of our whole department, I wish you are very happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.

Oh, and just in case you are wondering, we are still going to need a few more bucks to help the Cheer Board cause.

I hope you will think of us, and most importantly them, if you’re considering a charitable donation in the next week or two.

Merry Christmas.

Please send your donations to The Spirit of Christmas, c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg,, R2X 3B6. They have the spirit:

 

In memory of Marcie $100.00

In memory of Cliff $40.00

In memory of Nick & Mary Chliboyko $100.00

Reuben & Beatrice Priddle $75.00

In memory of Cole A. Hantscher $50.00

In memory of Jake Stoesz $25.00

In memory of Touring All-Stars $20.00

Lou Martin & Min Nakano

In memory of Trevor & $20.00

Maisie Morgan

In memory of Kristen Holland $10.00

In memory of Bide-A-Wee Curler Mary (Kseniuk) Maydaniuk $10.00

T. Kent Morgan $20.00

Carol Rebizant $50.00

In memory of Friends $250.00

Pauline Sparrow $15.00

Mr. & Mrs. Gordon F. Mills $50.00

In memory of John Anderson $50.00

Manitoba Golf Superintendents Assoc. $400.00

Lois & Gordon D. Johnson $200.00

Geraldine Grundy $100.00

In Memory of Elaine Wiebe, $50.00

Murray & Betty Guild

Tim & Bev Reid, Edmonton $100.00

In memory of Dr. Leo N. Konyk $100.00

In memory of Marge & Len Norrie $200.00

St. Nicholas Men’s Club $150.00

In Memory of Mom, Dad, $50.00

Nana & Bompa

East Kildonan Lioness Club $140.00

Tache Pharmacy $150.00

In memory of Fred, Effie &

Mark Shoemaker $50.00

In memory of Fred Anderson $125.00

Leslie & Craig English $50.00

Ian Squair $100.00

Hannah & Jamie Whitlaw $25.00

In Memory of Gerry Varnes Jr. $100.00

Edith Ruddock $25.00

Donna McNamara $100.00

In Memory of Jim & Bernice Guild, Doris Millman $50.00

Soroptimist International of Winnipeg $50.00

Edith Hansen $100.00

In Memory of Grant Holmes $100.00

D. Neubauer $20.00

In memory of Kenny Ingram &

Betty Townsend $50.00

The Poker Girls $30.00

Bryan Barkwell $250.00

Norwood Rebekah Lodge No. 42 $140.00

Mae Fidler-Fast $75.00

In Memory of Finley & Elizabeth Scaife $200.00

In Memory of Mom & Fred & $50.00

My Three Sisters

In memory of My Husband, Moe $50.00

Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. $100.00

Marcel & Jeannine Pineau $100.00

West Kildonan Library Staff $60.00

Renee Guilmette $20.00

In memory of Freda Fairman $25.00

Lillian May Cameron $100.00

Assiniboine Memorial Sr. Curling Club $150.00

In memory of Ethel Fairman $25.00

Carl & Lucille Curtis $100.00

Muriel Levy $50.00

Fort Garry Kennel Club $150.00

Leona Crowe $100.00

In memory of Ruth Muirhead $25.00

Goodrich $100.00

Jernej Anderlic $200.00

In memory of David A. Deally $30.00

In memory of Agnes, John, Alyce, Danny Young $80.00

In memory of Cil Chandler $20.00

In memory of Bea McSkimmings $20.00

Louis Riel Teachers’ Curling $100.00

In memory of Olive, Caroline & Blaze J. Bryk $100.00

Alexander Marketing Group $100.00

In memory of Lorky Holowka & Phyllis & Jack Scott $150.00

Audrey Hill $50.00

Mrs. K. Biglow $15.00

Mary Campbell $50.00

Joyce Zolles $50.00

In memory of Kay McNeill & $100.00

Helen Peterson

In memory of John E. Holtmann $25.00

Margery & Bernie Failing $100.00

William & Jeanne Mazur $20.00

Fay Reid $50.00

Ernie & Irene Marchand $50.00

Bob & Helen Fraser $50.00

Mildred Hallama $75.00

Molly M. Dowson $200.00

In memory of Ron & Edie Zimmerman $100.00

In memory of Fred Post $50.00

In memory of Jean Lefley $20.00

Barbara MacInnes $100.00

M. Nowosad $50.00

James P. Harris $50.00

Edward & Anne Faseruk $30.00

In memory of Joseph Blanchard $100.00

In memory of John, Ann &

Rudy Korol $100.00

Fiat Social Club $430.00

In memory of Clement McIntosh $100.00

In memory of John Cholakis $100.00

Thelma J. Paterson $50.00

Big Six Curling League $100.00

Bill & Sherron McLean $50.00

Khartum Shriners Past Masters Club $100.00

In memory of Charles N. Morrison $200.00

St. Paul’s Anglican Church

ACW Group $97.00

In memory of Granny Sahlstrom $150.00

Wildewood Seniors Recreation Assoc. $300.00

In memory of Bert & Lil Hearnden $50.00

In memory of John Watkins $50.00

In memory of Earle & Sadie Preston $250.00

David & Frances McBean $100.00

Eric Lee $50.00

Eleanor Siddall $100.00

Lee Johnson $100.00

The James Gang Christmas Fundraiser $50.00

B. Lusty $25.00

Margaret Morse $100.00

In memory of Ken Gates $50.00

Brian & Anne Parker $100.00

In memory of Cory Anderson $50.00

In memory of George & $50.00

Lorna Anderson

In memory of Doug & Edie McMurray $50.00

William H. Gray $200.00

In memory of Margaret Simmons $50.00

Marcel & Alma Verdonck $25.00

Donna & David Meighen $40.00

LeMoal Family $100.00

Ronald & Cecelia Mandock $40.00

Don & Vicky Rudyk $50.00

Clients & Staff of Performance $125.00

Landscaping

Ron De Man $150.00

In memory of A. R. Winser $100.00

In memory of Jack & Kitty Brasier $75.00

Evelyn Smith $25.00

Kjell Talgoy $25.00

In memory of Olive Semchuk $100.00

Olga Dilay $50.00

Manitoba Risk & Insurance

Management Society $150.00

Julie Telenko $25.00

Mrs. L. Guenette $100.00

Marion J. Bruno $40.00

William J. Gourluck $15.00

Robert McKenzie $200.00

In memory of Phyllis Carson $50.00

Don & Eleanor McKenzie $250.00

William & Bareth Sutherland $20.00

In memory of Chris Garry $50.00

Isabel & Reginald Palmer $30.00

Irene Wakeman $30.00

In memory of Irma Arthurs, Ron Bell, Ed Hilditch $300.00

In memory of Wendy Esdale $100.00

In memory of Steve & Dora Polish $50.00

In memory of Tim & Suse Griffiths $40.00

Don Ong $35.00

In memory of Mary Pawlosky, Ella & $100.00

Johann Franz, Amalie Rupp

Alex & Peggy Colonello $100.00

In memory of Toni Brodie $50.00

In memory of Connie Bossuyt $50.00

In memory of Robert Wieler $150.00

Ladies Auxiliary Charleswood Legion $100.00

Rossmere Lanes $1,360.90

Sunday Eagles $31.00

Mon. Golden Age $108.50

Mon. River East Transcona Teachers $28.25

Mon. Eastwood Mixed $80.25

Mon. Night Football $20.00

Tues. North Kildonan Ladies $63.15

Tues. East Kildonan Ladies $46.50

Tues. Second Century $39.35

Tues. Challengers $71.65

Wed. Riverside Homemakers $70.25

Wed. Letter Carriers Mixed $98.25

Thurs. Early Birds $76.55

Thurs. Rossmere Melrose Ladies $58.10

Thurs. EK Seniors Mixed $108.20

Thurs. Tartens Mixed $32.55

Thurs. Metro Mixed $40.10

Thurs. Holy Eucharist $60.00

Fri. Golden Age $65.35

Fri. Night Live $101.00

Sat. Youth Bowling Canada $161.90

In Memory of Muffin $35.00

Tina Funk-Lawson $25.00

Alf & Elizabeth Leite $150.00

Carefree Curling & Recreation Assoc. $150.00

Khartum Shriners Pipes & Drums $452.00

Paul’s Hauling Employees $2,000.00

Five Holers Hockey Club $440.00

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities $25,000.00

Manitoba Metis Federation $4,000.00

International Assoc. of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers L. U. No. 728 $300.00

Construction & Specialized Workers’ Union Local 1258 $1,000.00

Letitia Theta Rho Girls Club No. 1 $322.00

Sheet Metal Workers Int. Assoc. $1,000.00

Anonymous (8 donations) $1,600.00

 

Today’s total $51,481.90 Previous total $35,147.49

Grand total $86,629.39

steve.lyons@freepress.mb.ca