Kings launch annual Christmas fundraising campaign
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Agra Risk Wheatland Kings have launched their annual Christmas fundraising campaign, Shopping with the Kings, and are looking for support from the local community.
“It is times of the year like this why I think all of us are proud to be members of the Kings and wear that crown on our jackets. Last year, the team raised just under $20,000 in capital, which allowed us to give 20 families in Strathmore and area a Christmas, who might not have been able to have Christmas otherwise,” said Cody Holdaway, General Manager for the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings. “This campaign is very meaningful to not only myself, but to all of our players as well. It is all in partnership with the local Wood Creek virtual Lions Club, through some other Lions Clubs, and our network of corporate partners.”
Holdaway explained donations are amassed into a pool, and however much is able to be collected prior to the Dec. 14 shopping spree is divided amongst however many families are able to be helped.
The Kings work with local school boards to identify some families who may be struggling through tough financial times and the kids get paired with the players to be taken out shopping.
This year marks the fourth consecutive year the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings have put on the fundraising campaign.
“The first year we did it … the team was only able to help 10 families, and last year, we doubled down and we were able to help 20 individual families,” said Holdaway. “We are actually hoping to do that again this year – so our minimum goal for this year is another 20 families, and then anything we raise over and above, obviously, the better.”
He explained the sole barrier to being able to help greater numbers of families every year is the amount of donations brought in through the campaign.
Though assisting another 20 families is the target, Holdaway said the more people the team is able to help out, the better.
“Our network of partners continues to be, and will always be very generous in times like this … Canadian Tire is kind of a one-stop-shop in Strathmore. They have things for the kids, they have housewares for mom and dad, and everything,” said Holdaway. “The kids get (an) amount of money to buy whatever they want; they can buy themselves some toys for Christmas, they can buy grandma and grandpa a Christmas gift, mom and dad, and then what we do is we take all that stuff back to the Civic Centre with the kids and then the kids get to spend the day with the players wrapping gifts and all that.”
Parents of the participating families are given a gift card for groceries in order to assist with providing Christmas dinners.
The campaign will collect donations up until the day of the shopping spree. A donation bin is made available at each Kings home game at the Strathmore Family Centre Arena for cash donations should attendees be interested in contributing.