Seafair Minor Hockey’s executive director Ken Hamaguchi called it one of the greatest feats the organization has achieved. Not even a provincial championship in the upcoming 2016 playoffs will beat it.
Hamguchi said Seafair players, with the help of parents, raised more than $12,000 and collected around 1,400 food items for the Richmond Food Bank, as of last week.
“Given the tough financial times and with Christmas around the corner, I didn’t think we would be able to do it — especially since our totals from last year were lower than the year before,” said Hamaguchi.
Among the fundraising highlights is the Atom A1 team that spent several afternoons at Save-on Foods to collect $1,864 and hockey bags full of food.
Not far behind the Atom all-star fundraisers was the Peewee A3 team that collected $1,725 in cash, in addition to food.
Hamaguchi said older players, from the Bantam C1 and Midget C4 teams, volunteered their time at the food bank, instead of soliciting donations.
Meanwhile, Richmond Food Bank manager Margaret Hewlett is keeping an optimistic view ahead of Christmas Day, as the charitable organization tries to reach its fundraising target for December.
“It is looking good, but we’re a long ways away from what we budgeted for,” said Hewlett.
Christmas time is a particularly important time for food bank recipients, said Hewlett.
“It’s an emotional time. Some people, we see them because they need contact and people who might stay away because they think they’ll manage; but at Christmas time the sense of need is greater,” said Hewlett.
But just as important as Christmas time is managing to get through the winter, she added.
While the food bank may have enough food to get through the holidays, 50 per cent of its donations for the year come in just before Christmas. The winter brings rising food prices and utility bills, said Hewlett, meaning the months of January and February are particularly difficult.
Meanwhile Hewlett said the food bank continues to expand its reach with two new distribution depots. As well, the food bank is expanding a meal program in schools. It is also coordinating some extra help for incoming refugees.
“I think Richmond is responding well to people’s needs,” she said, optimistically.
Outreach coordinator Alex Nixon said for every $1 that is donated the bank can aquire $6 in food.
Top five spirited donations in 2015:
- Graham Construction: Renovated our warehouse and Play & Learn Kids’ area for free.
- The kids: There are several kids throughout the year who ask for donations to the Richmond Food Bank instead of birthday and Christmas gifts.
- Natalie: A senior citizen who donates once or twice a month, Natalie also gives our volunteers cookies at Christmas time and puts together gifts from Santa.
- Clients turned donors: Two families, who used to come to the RFB for help, made a point of coming back, introducing themselves as former clients, and donating food and money.
- Organizations: ANAF Unit 284, the Richmond Auto Mall and the Tzu Chi Foundation, to name a few, are longstanding donors.
