A major milestone was eclipsed on Monday at the 42nd annual Childs luncheon for the Salvation Army.
Not only did the event raise $6,586.45 for this year’s campaign, the family surpassed the $300,000 mark from when the event started back in the 1970’s.
“My mother and father started this back in the 70’s and it’s a tradition that we have carried on ever since,” Mark Childs, organizer of the luncheon and operator of The Black Goose Grill, said at the event.
“My two sons, my girl friend and my whole family from both sides is involved in what we do here. Our goal here was to surpass $300,000 and we’ve already done that. We needed $3,500 to put us over the $300,000 that we’ve done since we started.”
Childs added: “We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being here. This is a big project that we like to do every year. We want to thank the staff that came in on their time off to help out. The UAW Hall provides the hall for free every year, and I don’t think the people in Wallaceburg realize all the stuff the union hall does here…. the blood banks, all the free stuff. This hall does a lot of good for the town, so just keep that in mind when you are thinking about booking a place for a function.”
Childs told the Sydenham Current approximately 450 people attended the fundraiser.
Captain Stephanie Watkinson said
“I want to thank Mark, his crew, his family for this wonderful tradition that we have had for so many years.
The money raised here does stay in Wallaceburg. It does get used for more than just Christmas. We do provided Christmas assistance through toy and baskets and food baskets. We also provided year-round services, more than just the food banks. We do have the food bank here, but we also offer assistance through housing supports.. with their hydro, their gas, helping people find homes.”
Watkinson said the Salvation Army will offer support to youth.
“Youth who are having difficulties at home, at school. We have a youth worker that comes here all the time to help youth in various areas,” she said.
The Salvation Army also offers a trustee program, free of charge.
“We do not charge to help them with their finances, with their budgeting, with their income tax,” Watkinson said.
“We do that and that comes from funds through the red kettle. SO when you give to the red kettle, you are supporting multiple programs that are offered to residents here in Chatham-Kent.”
A community garden program is another one of the services offered at their Lowe Avenue site in Wallaceburg.
“We have a huge community garden in the summer, that not only helps people grow their own vegetables, but it also grows vegetables for the food banks,” Watkinson said.
“So we are providing fresh produce to our food banks. So your dollar goes a long way to help the residents of Chatham-Kent, but in particular in Wallaceburg.”
The Salvation Army Christmas campaign in Chatham-Kent is at 67.8% ($305,199.50) of their $450,000 goal as of Friday night.
Here are some photos of the event:
– Photo credit: Dana Haggith
