By Pearl Akers
There was a bumper crop of wishes for the CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS WISHES TREE this past fall. Gifts for 63 children from 30 families totaling $4500 were donated by more than 42 people in the community. Gifts ranged from gift cards for the teens to clothing, bedding, and every toy imaginable, from the traditional Barbies to the newest attraction unfamiliar to some of us old-timers.
This project would not be the success it has been the past 16 Christmases without the assistance of 3 organizations. Thanks to the Musquodoboit Harbour Foodbank and Darlene and staff for distributing the forms and collecting the wishes starting soon after Thanksgiving. Thanks to Tibor and the staff at Sobeys at Head Jeddore for providing the tree and the space to hang the wishes for donors to pick up. Thanks to all the staff at the Musquodoboit Harbour Library for being a drop-off/collection point for the gifts. Thanks again for the Foodbank for distributing the gifts with the Christmas hampers. But most of this, thanks to all those who contributed their time, money, and effort to help brighten a child’s Christmas. Watch for the flyers, ads, and the Tree next November and, until then, have a happy, healthy, stress-free 2023.
[Editor’s note: Several area organizations joined forces over the holidays to provide children with toys and families with food and stockings. Darlene Myers of the Musquodoboit Harbour Food Bank oversaw the complicated logistics of bringing together in the main room of the Musquodoboit Harbour Lions Club all the food baskets, stocking stuffers, and toys from the Children’s Christmas Wishes Tree. The results represented the combined efforts of many volunteers and local businesses that stepped up.]