Skip to content

Local groups, businesses hold Christmas events, donation drives

A long list of community groups, organizations and businesses are planning to help out this holiday season.
P50 Santa Parade 1
Santa Claus showed up to spread Christmas cheer on Main Street Dec. 10 as part of the annual Parade of Lights, waving to onlookers from one of the floats.

A long list of community groups, organizations and businesses are planning to help out this holiday season.

The Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre is hosting its annual Christmas gift program and is accepting donations until late December.

The program is aimed at providing Christmas gifts for parents or guardians to give to their children, ages 17 and younger, when they may not otherwise be able to. This year’s program already has some needs to be met, according to lead organizer and Friendship Centre program events coordinator Lisa Rosvold.

“I’d have to say it’s warm clothing and little ones’ toys,” she said.

Cash donations to the program can also be accepted and donors will receive tax receipts - offers to volunteer time to help with the program will also be accepted.

Gifts and items can be donated to their program at one of three locations - the Red Apple store and Flin Flon Scotiabank, both located on Main Street, as well as at the Friendship Centre itself on Church Street.

Anyone interested in registering for the program can do so until Dec. 23. Gifts will be handed out to people from Dec. 16 until Dec. 24. All people coming in to pick up their gifts will be assigned an appointment and asked to show up at a specific time for pick-up, as well as being asked to bring their own health card.

For more information about this year’s gift program campaign, call the Friendship Centre at (204) 687-8858.

Some businesses, including Flin Flon Scotiabank, are doing their own fundraisers to help the Friendship Centre’s campaign. The bank has a tree inside with tags on it, each with a specific label for a boy or girl within certain age groups. People can buy an individual tag to give money to provide a gift to that particular child this holiday season.

Ruth Betts Community School is hosting its annual Christmas grotto and is looking for donations before Dec. 10, including for specific gently used items like picture frames, candles, mugs, jewelry or household items. The school hosts the grotto each year, using items donated from the community, to provide gift items and essentials for people who may otherwise not be able to receive them over the holidays. Donations can be made by dropping items off at the school items - drop-offs can be arranged by messaging the Ruth Betts Facebook page.

Mugsy’s Deli on Main Street is also hosting its own fundraising prize draw for the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank, raffling off a Christmas cookie jar with all proceeds going to the food bank. Tickets can be bought at the restaurant for a dollar apiece until Dec.21.

The Flin Flon Bombers and Northland Ford are hosting the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss game Dec. 10. After the Bombers’ first goal of the game, fans will throw stuffed animals on the ice, which will be donated to the Salvation Army Christmas Cheer program and to the Friendship Centre gift program.

Three local governments also are planning to hold a bell-ringing campaign for Christmas Eve, much like last year.

The City of Flin Flon, Town of Creighton and Northern Village of Denare Beach have all brought back the bells, asking interested members of the public to pick up a bell at either the the Flin Flon rec office, Creighton town office or the Denare Beach village office next week from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The point of the program is to go out on Christmas Eve at 6 p.m. and ring the bells outside, in the words of the local announcement, “to spread Christmas spirit and to help Santa find his way.”

The three communities held a similar program last year, when pandemic restrictions, especially in Manitoba, prevented many families from meeting together for the holidays.

Do you know of a person or group doing something to help out during the holiday season? Let us know at news@thereminder.ca.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks