The Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce wants to give back this Holiday Season and is partnering with the Christmas Daddies Telethon to do just that.
After hearing directly from the community at the recent Mayoral Debate hosted by the Chamber, it became apparent that with the housing crisis, inflationary pressures and recent impact of Fiona, many families in Summerside will be heading into the holiday season with substantial need.
In response to this, the Chamber is organizing a Holiday Block Party at Off the Wallz in Slemon Park on Saturday Dec. 3rd from 12-5pm, sponsored by Summerside Toyota. Admission is free, with donations at the door going to support Christmas Daddies. This event will feature an indoor marketplace with great local vendors such as ReWilde Clothing, Global Pet Foods and Wenever Pastry. The indoor playground and axe throwing facilities will be open and free of charge to the public during the event and Santa will be on site to take pictures and chat with kids.
“With all the struggles our community has faced over the past two years, we thought it was important to take a moment and celebrate the resilience of our businesses and community” says Kaley O’Brien, newly instated Executive Director for the Chamber. “Throughout COVID-19 we have seen an increased awareness and interest in supporting local businesses, and because of this, local businesses are better able to support our community through initiative such as this.”
With over 5,380 children living in poverty in PEI, the need for support is great. “We have partnered with Christmas Daddies for this endeavor as they are a very reputable charity that has been helping maritime children since 1964. To date, Christmas Daddies has raised over 34 million dollars and made a difference in the lives of thousands of maritime children by providing toys, gifts and food each Christmas” notes O’Brien
Funds raised by Christmas Daddies can be assigned to a given community, with funds being distributed locally through the Salvation Army. All funds raised at the Chamber’s Holiday Block Party event will be assigned for use right here in Summerside.
The Christmas Daddies Telethon takes place annually on the first Saturday in December, and will be airing on CTV2 and live streaming online on Dec. 3rd from 11am-6pm. There will be a cameraperson from Christmas Daddies at the Holiday Block Party event and they will be videoing the on-site action to stream live on the Telethon.
“Islanders are known for their generosity and community spirit, and we hope to showcase this at the Holiday Block Party Event.”
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance this holiday season, you can register to receive help from Christmas Daddies donations by contacting the local Summerside Salvation Army by phone at (902) 888-3870 or by email: elaine.braye@salvationarmy.ca. For more information on how the funds raised by Christmas Daddies are distributed to serve those in need, please visit https://www.christmasdaddies.org/