Bouquet...
To the Salvation Army in Red Deer and the Sally Ann brigades, armed with love and compassion, across Canada which challenged these desperate times and succeeded in a Christmas Kettle campaign that surpassed all expectations.
And a bouquet to the generous Canadians who helped make the 2009 campaign an overwhelming success.
In Red Deer, just four days before Christmas, the local drive was about $41,000 shy of its $175,000 goal. But the area rallied, donors reached far into their pockets, and pushed the total raised to $178,000.
“We’re most grateful for the generosity shown,” said Captain/Pastor Jason Sabourin. “We were hopeful to just hit what we received last year, but we’re so thankful to get to that $175,000 mark, and just a little bit over.”
The devotion, generosity, and an out-pouring of unconditional love shown by the Salvation Army for the needy in Central Alberta have moved mountains in restoring dignity to those so low on the ladder they’ve had to stand on their toes to reach the bottom rung.
The Salvation Army, founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom, has taken its healing campaigns over those years into squalors rife with poverty, disease and starvation, where, in years gone by, were shunned by more-fortunate citizens living a comfortable life.
Thankfully today, the needs of our less-fortunate have been recognized, and local charity groups, besides Sally Ann, have rallied together with an outpouring of compassion and assistance.
The Salvation Army in Canada has a special reason to celebrate the 2009 Kettle Campaign. Fellow Canadians can take pride in knowing the national office - while demand for services were at an all-time high - donors contributed more than $18 million nationally. The year before, it was $16 million.
What a great blessing for Sally Ann’s meal kitchens for the needy, food banks and Christmas hamper drives across Canada.
To retiring Lacombe Fire Chief Tom Fisher who served his community well - and loved every moment.
Emotions were high at a recent hockey tournament between the volunteer firefighters from Lacombe and Ponoka, when members of the Lacombe team lined up to give Fisher big farewell hugs. The tears flowed.
Fisher, 43, devoted 20 years to the volunteer brigade, nine of them as the chief.
He missed Christmases, birthdays, recital and hockey games, all in the line of duty answering fire calls. He’s hanging up his helmet to spend more time with his loving family.
What really touched Fisher’s heart during his term is the camaraderie among Lacombe’s volunteer department. The “guys look after each other . . . It’s unbelievable what these people will do for each other.”
Lacombe applauds Fisher for beefing up the department with more members and updated equipment.
He’s a true community hero.