Time is running out on the Salvation Army's Christmas fundraising campaigns.
With just five full days left until Christmas, shoppers continue to empty their pockets of coins to feed the kettle drive in Prince George. However, the annual fundraiser is still well short of the target for 2012.
"We're sitting at about $170,000 and our goal is $250,000," said Salvation Army Cpt. Neil Wilkinson.
As well, the Army's 25th annual Tree of Lights campaign is well below the targeted pace of $50,000, with about $22,000 contributed so far. For every $5 donation a bulb will be lit on the large tree that stands atop the Coast Inn of the North.
"We're looking for a $100,000 Christmas miracle," said Wilkinson. "We only need 100 people with $1,000 each in a community of 80,000 people to reach our goal. I'm very confident we will.
"This is a great community and it's a last-minute community as well, and they always come through. It's time to dig deep and step up and not only help out a charity but also get that last-minute income tax receipt in before the end of the year."
Tickets for the Tree of Lights are available at the Salvation Army office, Coast Inn of the North, Save-On Foods, Integris Credit Union, or Spruce Credit Union. Wilkinson said people can donate 5,000 of their Save-On Food points to add $5 to the tree. The grocery chain has promised to match those donations.
"The money from the Christmas kettles and the Tree of Lights feed those in the community," said Wilkinson. "We're currently feeding 800 families per month, plus the 800 Christmas hampers we're doing as well. It costs us $400,000 a year in operations and what we take in at Christmas time goes a long way toward that. When you think about it, $400,000 to feed 800 families for a year is not very much. We're stretching our dollars to the max."
More volunteers are needed for two-hour shifts to staff the 15 kettles in the city 14 hours per day.Not all of those locations are indoors, and the outdoor shifts have proven the most difficult to fill.
"The kettles do better when they are manned properly and we're still quite desperate for volunteers," said Wilkinson. "The great thing about [Thursday] is Wal-Mart is matching funds, so for every dollar that goes into Wal-Mart's kettle, Wal-Mart will kick in a buck, to a $100,000 maximum across the country."
People continue to drop by the Salvation Army headquarters at 777 Ospika Blvd., with toy donations and food bank items. On Wednesday, proceeds from a student-led food drive at Edgewood elementary school were brought there.
"We're grateful for all the support we get in the community," Wilkinson said.
To volunteer call 250-564-4000.
