A cool half-million dollars. $500,000 to help people who are less fortunate than most of us. More money than the Times Colonist Christmas Fund has raised in its 65 years of making life better for those in need.
No matter how you look at it, the success of this year’s fund drive comes from the support that you, our readers, are showing to the community as a whole.
Thank you. Thank you to the people who helped nudge the fund past the half-million mark just after 5 p.m. Friday. Thank you to everyone, more than 2,000 of you, who helped to get it to that level.
Now it’s on to $600,000, and then our 2020 goal of $700,000. Dare we strive for even more? There is certainly a need; we could easily put $1 million to work if we had it.
Our $500,000 total does not include every donation, and those will push the fund even higher.
Consider one of the coolest sounds of this drive — the one made by cans or bottles as they are tossed into the dedicated charity bins at the three Bottle Depot locations in Victoria and Saanich.
The sound helps to build the Christmas Fund a dime at a time. (Or, more accurately, a nickel at a time, because we are splitting the proceeds with CFAX Santas Anonymous.)
Don’t be worried about the time it will take; the charity bins are the first things you will see when you get any of the depots, which are on Queens Avenue, Quadra Street and Glanford Avenue.
We are still looking for donations from retailers or property owners in the 500 block of Johnson Street. Glen Lynch, of Baggins Shoes at 580 Johnson St., has donated $500 and promises to do it again if three others doing business on that block will donate at least $500.
Brenda Edwards of Saanich donated $300, and said her family challenges other families of firefighters, police, nurses and front-line retail staff to match or beat the donation.
Carey Johannesson and Jan Clark donated $500 and are challenging other readers to match them.
Sharon Warde donated $100 and challenged Greater Victoria real estate agents to also donate.
The best way to donate directly is to go to timescolonist.com/donate. That will take you to the Canada Helps website, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
Or mail a cheque, payable to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund Society, to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201-655 Tyee Road, Victoria V9A 6X5.
Or use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Outside those hours, messages will be accepted.
dobee@timescolonist.com
