Friday December 1, 2022 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The GoFundMe tally has reached $520 so far (as of December 1 at 3:15 pm), with $15,000 being the target.
The crowd fundraising method at GoFundMe requires the target to be met in order for funds to be released to the recipient.
The goal has been halved to $15,000 from $30,000, likely as people are finding it hard to donate during this challenging economic times.
People can also give non-perishable food donations during the Santa Run on December 9 (see below).
Donations go to the Sooke Food Bank for building Christmas hampers. About 400 families are expected to be supported by the hampers this year.
As posted November 20, 2023:
Holiday season action by the Sooke Firefighter’s Association and IAFF Local 4841 includes their Charitable Giving Campaign.
The 2023 Campaign has launched with a goal to support more than 400 local families in the Sooke area this holiday season. It’s the campaign’s 30th year!
The campaign is delivered in partnership with the Sooke Christmas Bureau, the District of Sooke, and the two main grocery stores in town: Western Foods, and Village Foods.
Campaign team members will be at local businesses over the coming weeks, with the campaign culminating in the annual Santa Run on Saturday December 9.
Campaign goal $30,000:
A goal has been set for $30,000 (nearly half of the $56,000 goal in 2022).
Last year, the value of each monetary donation was matched through the purchasing power of the Sooke Food Bank thanks to local support from Western Foods and Village Foods. [2023 arrangement to be confirmed]
People and businesses who can contribute are asked to do so through the Sooke Firefighters for the Christmas Bureau Go Fund Me page, set up by the Sooke Firefighter’s Association and IAFF Local 4841 on behalf of the Sooke Christmas Bureau.
The GoFundMe page was launched on November 14, and so far shows just a few donations totaling $120.
Photo-taking pit stops:
Plans for the Sooke Santa Run, a capstone of the Sooke Firefighters Charitable Giving Campaign that warms the hearts of families, will take place on Saturday, December 9, starting at dusk (around 5 pm).
Four fire trucks decorated with bright and colourful Christmas lights, playing festive holiday will drive through Sooke area neighbourhoods to spread holiday cheer.
All routes will have a Santa Claus Pit Stop. Teams will stop at the stations for a short time (five minutes) at designated times, to greet families, take photos, and collect donations (cash or food).
New for 2023! The Blue Route will start from Fire Hall No. 1. That changes the overall direction of the route, allowing Blue to reach the greatest number of families at the beginning of the event.
See the 2023 Santa Run routes and follow the trucks in real time online on Saturday evening, December 9.
How to donate:
Monetary donations for those wishing to contribute can be made at pitstops along the route.
Contributions can also be made through the Sooke Firefighters for the Christmas Bureau Go Fund Me page at any time.
Hamper recipients should apply before Nov 30:
The Sooke Christmas Bureau is encouraging families and individuals who need an extra hand this upcoming holiday season to apply for their Christmas hampers by Thursday November 30.
Families can apply at Sooke Family Resource Centre at 6672 Wadams Way, or at the Sooke Food Bank in the Sooke Community Hall at 2037 Shields Rd.
Sooke firefighters over the years:
Over its 30-year history, the Sooke Firefighters Charitable Giving Campaign has supported over 6,500 families.
Sooke Fire Dept Chief and Director of Community Safety is Ted Ruiter. Wayne Kennedy is the Deputy Chief/Emergency Program Coordinator. Captains are Chris McCrea and Cam Norris-Jones.
Community parade on Dec 10:
Another community event is the Sooke Santa Parade. The 2023 community-wide Sooke Santa Parade will run along Highway 14 (Sooke Road) on Sunday December 10, from 5 to 6 pm (from Sooke Elementary to Townsend Road). That event is organized by the Sooke Lions.
Island Social Trends Links: Community Calendar | Traffic info
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends posts socioeconomic news insights at islandsocialtrends.ca .
The Island Social Trends editor Mary P Brooke began writing about the Sooke region 15 years ago with her first local news publication MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), then the weekly Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), which evolved into the weekly colour print/PDF West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Island Social Trends emerged from there, entirely online at islandsocialtrends.ca since mid-2020. Watch for the Island Social Trends print edition starting in 2024.
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