The Final Count…

I know you’re waiting to hear the final hamper count.  Last year we filled 142 hampers, but this year…we did even better!  148 beautifully decorated hampers stuffed to the brim with wholesome fresh goodies.  Even the weather cooperated to make this one of our Best. Parties. Ever.

Thanks to Our Venue Hosts

Once again, the Monterey Concert Band played and our hosts, Canadian College of Performing Arts’ brilliant triple threat students entertained us as we worked.  Thank you, students and CCPA Director Ron Schuster, for taking us under your wing and working beside us for the last four years.

Thanks to the Salvation Army

The Salvation Army’s Pat Humble arrived early this year to give us a quick outline of the impressive services the Sally Ann provides to prepare clients for employment.  As always, he reminded us how much our hampers mean to the families who receive them.

Telus Tops the Tree

Then, this year’s exciting first—a photo op with one of those giant ceremonial cheques!  TELUS’s Regional Market Manager Sean Donnelly presented our party with the $1000 donation from TELUS PureFibre that put us over the top.

Thanks to the Many Individual Contributors

It is the collective generosity of our stalwart individual cash and food donors that keep the party going, but our tradition is to not reveal individual donor amounts since we know all our donors are giving what they can.

Thanks to Our Generous Suppliers

We really must thank our business donors, because without their unbelievable support we could never have accomplished what we did this year:

• Morning Fresh Eggs on Blenkinsop (a huge party supporter for 16 years)
• Thrifty Foods, Tuscany Village (selling us 130 turkeys below cost)
• Portofino Bakery (150 loaves of bread)
• Level Ground Coffee (our generous supporter for years)
• Canadian Tire (selling us 130 hampers below cost)
• Coca Cola (drinks for the volunteers and a 1 litre Coke for 150 hampers)
• Victoria College of Art, Cassels Murray Family & Estates Law, and Law Office of Sarah L. Klinger (all generous cash donors)
• Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, Cadboro Bay (free party bank account)
• Punchbowl.com (free Platinum membership for our invitations)

And to the Elves…

Finally, huge thanks to amazing Organizing Elves Dan Doherty, Laura & Paul MacDonald, Lisa Pacquin & James VanDam, Val Sharp, head Décor Elf Di Madill, and our dear piper Josh MacDonald.  Even in Santa’s workshop, thousands of dollars and thousands of pounds of food doesn’t get planned, budgeted, comparison shopped, ordered, promoted, coordinated, picked up and delivered, and properly recorded for tax purposes without a lot of Elf hours.  They are an amazing team!

Together we fed the hungry and those who otherwise may have lost hope.  Isn’t that the essence of the holiday spirit?

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah & Happy New Year!

Joyce & Elves Dan, Laura, Paul, Lisa, James, Val, Josh & Di