Central Station was alive with the smell of pancakes and sausages and the sounds of Christmas music Saturday morning as the Winkler and District Christmas Cheerboard hosted its annual Holly Jolly Breakfast.
The kickoff to this year’s fundraising drive fed upwards of 250 people and raised $6,400, shared Cheerboard president Crystal Rempel.
“At first, because we had so many volunteers and everything went so smoothly, we were wondering: is this less [people] than last year?” she said. “But we just didn’t bottleneck—we had enough pancakes all the time, so no one had to wait.”
The breakfast is a great way to launch the Cheerboard’s campaign, which this year aims to raise $130,000 to put together holiday care packages for families in need next month.
“It just makes for such an enjoyable morning,” Rempel said. “It’s not like you’re eating and running off—you get to have good fellowship with those around you, listen to some good music, and support a good cause.”
The fast-moving line Saturday was thanks in part to the crew of Winkler firefighters who came to help dish out the food.
Firefighter Henry Giesbrecht says the department is always keen to lend a hand when it comes to spreading Christmas cheer.
“They’re just a great organization,” he said of the Cheerboard. “They do a lot for the community and we want to be a part of that.”
To that end, the Winkler Fire Department is in the midst of firming up plans for their annual Cheerboard hockey game, which will see them square off against the Winkler Flyers on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. at the Meridian Exhibition Centre.
“We’re playing the Flyers for the third year in a row,” Giesbrecht said. “I believe we’re 1-1, so we’re hoping to up the average for us this year.”
The afternoon will include raffle prizes, a 50/50 draw, and a few fun activities between periods. Admission is $2.
Photos by Ashleigh Viveiros/Voice
More opportunities to give
The Cheerboard anticipates distributing around 440 hampers on Dec. 11. Each one will include a grocery gift card (its value tied to how big the receipient family is) and presents of toys and gift cards for any children in the household.
In addition to the upcoming charity hockey game, there are a number of other opportunities to support the Winkler Cheerboard over the next few weeks.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the Emmanuel Mennonite Church is hosting a fundraising supper for the Cheerboard from 5-7 p.m. Tim Hortons is also doing its Holiday Smile Cookie Week in both Winkler and Morden from Nov. 18-24, with proceeds from the sale of cookies going to the local campaigns. And the Gardenland Co-op grocery store will be accepting donations at the till.
“We’ve got a short time, so we’ve got to make the most of it,” Rempel said, thanking everyone who has stepped up to make these fundraising events happen.
You can also donate online at winklercheerboard.com.
