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Sooke Rotary Club rings in record amount over Christmas

The club broke its record for Christmas kettle donations in a year the Salvation Army struggled to meet its target

The Rotary Club of Sooke once again rang the bells over the holidays to collect funds for the Salvation Army, as they've done for decades. But this year, they also rang in a new record.

Over $11,000 was either donated in cash or via credit cards during the two weeks that Rotary was stationed outside the BC Liquor Store. This meant that the club broke last year's Christmas record, despite it being a notably difficult year for donations across Greater Victoria communities and Canada due to the postal strike and economic hardships.

During the campaign period in mid-December, Salvation Army in Greater Victoria said demand for its assistance had increased in Greater Victoria and they had seen a decline in donations at kettles.

John Topolniski, Rotary kettle coordinator, said he wasn't exactly sure why Sooke was able to do so well this year, but he said they had "no problem" getting enough volunteers in Sooke and described the community as "extremely generous".

"All I know is that people come up and they always say that in the past they were having problems and the Salvation Army helped them out, and now their finances are on a better footing and they're able to give back. Some of them do give back very generously. I'm surprised at the size of some of the donations that get put into the kettle," Topolniski said.

Topolniski added that the Christmas kettle provides people with a meaningful opportunity to do something for the community and that he was grateful for the response.

"The Rotary Club of Sooke along with the Salvation Army wish to thank the Sooke community for their generosity each and every year," he said.

The funds raised locally, along with the other kettles spread around the Western Communities, are used to assist individuals and families throughout the area. 

The Salvation Army Connection Point Church and Resource Centre located at #103-737 Goldstream Ave. in Langford assists all those who are in need and can be reached at 778-817-1141.



Sam Duerksen

About the Author: Sam Duerksen

Since moving to Victoria from Winnipeg in 2020, I’ve worked in communications for non-profits and arts organizations.
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