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It must be true: It takes a village to serve a dinner. The community has heard the call, and is helping the Cranbrook Food Bank and Salvation Army ensure everyone can have a festive Christmas.
Cranbrook especially pitched in for a remarkable Chamber of Commerce "pledge day" Wednesday.
The one-day drive raised $18,000 - and counting, said Jason Wheeldon, Chamber director. He added that as of Thursday, businesses and individuals were still calling the Chamber office with pledges. Chamber staff and volunteers were busy manning the phones for extra hours on Wednesday and the next day.
"We were explaining to people that we hit our target, and here's what we're doing, and they still wanted to pledge," Wheeldon said.
The Chamber's goal was to raise enough to supply 550 Food Bank and Salvation Army family hampers with turkeys (individual hampers were to include a ham).
"The community went above and beyond," Wheeldon said. "It translates to about $33 per hamper - so we've guaranteed that both the Salvation Army and the Food Bank that anyone in need is going to have a turkey in the family hampers."
Wheeldon said the extra funds raised will be going to extras in the hampers - trimmings and suchlike - and other things that aren't commonly donated, like baby formula or diapers.
Wheeldon said the Chamber had held a similar drive in the past, but the success this year was unprecedented. "This year we had time to plan it, and promote it.
At last count, more than 300 pledges had come in from businesses and individuals.
The Food Bank and Salvation Army can now make their plans based around the added $9,000 each. "The biggest part is there's always the need after Christmas," Wheeldon said. "This doesn't solve the problem. But it helps alleviate some pressure around this time of year."
Wheeldon also praised the partnerships that came together - the Cranbrook Daily Townsman, the radio station, and Warren Bedell of Willow Appliances, who also accepted pledges on Wednesday.
All in all, Cranbrook is pitching with fundraising efforts great and small to help with community hunger. Last Friday, for example, the Cranbrook Bankers' Auction raised $12,000 for the Food Bank.
See more next week in the Townsman on the Cranbrook Food Bank's and Salvation Army's efforts at this time of year, and further on community support.
