Just over $10,000 worth of toys will be going to South Cariboo children in need this year thanks to eXp Realty's second annual Giving Back Together Campaign.
On Tuesday, Dec. 10 members of the 100 Mile House Wranglers came to collect the hundreds of toys crammed into eXp Realty's office over the last four weeks and took them to the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre (CFEC). It's a result that makes eXp reatlors and toy drive organizers Jenni Guimond and Mandy Findlay happy to see.
"I think we did better this year than last year. There are regulars who come back every year with carloads and the realtors do so much work to go out and grab bins of food and everything else," Findlay said.
From Remembrance Day on eXp Realty has been accepting donations of cash or toys as their office, slowly filling up several large boxes with toys and gifts for the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre. This year they also collected food for Loaves and Fishes and more practical items such as clothes and toiletries for adults.
Guimond noted that eXp Realty took over the Giving Back Together Campaign from the now defunct Royal LePage Realty and they do so by partnering with Red Apple. Together the two businesses team up to run the Fill the Sleigh Toy Drive, this year held on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the assistance of 100 Mile Fire Rescue.
"The firemen came and helped, we had hot dogs and hot chocolate (provided by FreshCo 100 Mile) by donation and Red Apple ended up raising about $900 cash on top of about $3,500 worth of toys just on that day," Guimond remarked. "Then Red Apple turned around and donated an extra five per cent of their sales from that day back towards it again to buy things a little bit different than toys. We got essential stuff, more for the teenagers and adults that get missed a lot."
The generosity of both Kathy Lamb of Red Apple and the community is what made Fill the Sleigh a success. This year, Guimond remarked one couple grabbed four of their friends, gave them all a shopping basket and tasked them each with buying $250 worth of donations.
All told Guimond estimates they raised roughly $5,000 worth of donations on Saturday alone and about an equal amount from the rest of the campaign, putting the total raised at around $10,000.
"It's really nice for us to have an area where we can help collect the donations, get the community involved and give back," Guimond remarked.
Findlay said they also appreciated the Wranglers coming out and loading up the 500 assorted toys in their trucks. She noted the realtors could barely move some of the hampers while the Wranglers simply picked them up and took them out the door.
"It definitely makes it go a lot quicker and it is fun. It's nice to see them contributing back to the community like they do in so many ways," Guimond added.
Now that the toys have been donated to the CFEC, Guimond and Findlay said they will be given out as part of the organization's Christmas Hamper program. Families in need will receive baskets filled with toys, clothes and other items to place under the Christmas tree the year. Guimond noted that you can sign up to receive one of these hampers at the CFEC office before Dec. 20.
For Guimond, Findlay and other members of their team, thoughts are already turning to ways to make the event even bigger and better next year.
"Every year we want to do more," Findlay said.
