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Pack a Police Car campaign benefits local seniors

Simultaneously there was a fundraising convergence of police vehicles that parked outside of the four Save-On Food locations in Prince George Sunday. It was still early for a real rush to take place at about 11 a.m.
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Bev Livingstone, left and Aralee Hryciuk, right, both City of Prince George support staff for the RCMP, accept the donation from Terri Robillard, centre, at Parkwood Mall during the Pack a Police Car fundraising campaign that took place Sunday at all four locations of Save-On Foods. Proceeds go to the Prince George Council of Seniors Christmas Hamper campaign for local seniors in need.

Simultaneously there was a fundraising convergence of police vehicles that parked outside of the four Save-On Food locations in Prince George Sunday.

It was still early for a real rush to take place at about 11 a.m. but the annual Pack A Police Car event saw several shoppers exiting the building at Parkwood with a bag or two or three filled with what's on the Christmas wish list of the Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) who are donating about 200 hampers to those seniors in need during what to some is a tough time of year.

At Parkwood Mall's Save-on location City of Prince George support staff for RCMP worker Aralee Hryciuk volunteered to take the first shift at the back of the police van loading up donations as fast as shoppers could pack them out of the store.

On the way in people could take a list with them which was provided by the volunteers so the guess work was taken out of deciding on what to purchase.

This is the third annual public event, for about a decade before that the police station workers would conduct their own fundraiser within the department and donate proceeds they all contributed to the council of seniors.

Another staffer, Bev Livingstone, said she saw the police department in Hinton was doing the fundraising campaign in their community and she brought it to Prince George.

"I thought we're a bigger detachment, we can do more," Livingstone said. "So I threw the idea out there."

The response was resoundingly positive, she said. And still is.

"There was $4,000 in cash and gift cards collected last year and 22 police cars were filled and we're always looking to beat our last year's total and so we're looking for even more donations this year," Livingstone said. "It's always so humbling for us to come out here and see all these people donating to the cause."

Livingstone said there are many times when she's heard children encouraging their parents to donate to the seniors and it warms her heart to see that in the community's young people.

"Sometimes you see a person approaching the van with a buggy full of food and you think 'oh, maybe one of those bags will be for the seniors' and they take out a bag for themselves and hand you the rest."

The best part, Hryciuk said, is to stand in the loading bay at the RCMP detachment where the items collected will be stored until delivery to the council.

"It's just packed," Hryciuk. "This event really shows how generous the people of Prince George are and it brings a tear to my eye when I think about that."

Just then Terri Robillard strolled out of the grocery store with her cart and promptly handed a filled bag to Livingstone as her contribution to the cause.

This wasn't her first time donating and so she knew to follow the list.

"But there's a few surprises in there as well," Robillard said with a smile. "I try to go with what they need but it's nice to get treats, too. I think it's important to help people. Not everybody is as fortunate and I know with the seniors sometime they need extra help. I donate to a lot of things but this is a big one at Christmas time."

The donations can't come soon enough for the team at the Prince George Council of Seniors.

"This is what I call wobble week," Lola-Dawn Fennell, PG COS general manager, said. "This is when I look at all the applications and think about how we're going to fill them."

The last day for non-perishable donations is Wednesday, Dec. 12 and that gives the non-profit organization four days to fill those hampers before delivery day on Monday, Dec. 17.

"And without the Pack a Police Car campaign we couldn't do that," Fennel said. "So all their efforts are very much appreciated."

The seniors' council is looking for healthy food donations, especially sodium-reduced items to make sure seniors dietary needs are met.

Some suggestions include canned vegetables and fruit packed in water, oatmeal or other hot cereals, rice or barley, pastas, canned fish, chicken, ham or corned beef, and peanut butter. Integris Credit Union will be delivering the hams and turkeys that go into the hampers for the PG COS of seniors in an effort to avoid some of the heavy lifting that comes with the volunteer job of providing the high volume of Christmas hampers to those in need.

People can still drop off their donations at the Prince George Council of Seniors Resource Centre at 721 Victoria St. Monday to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To volunteer to drop off even one or two hampers on delivery day, call Nicole at 250-564-5888.