INNISFAIL – It was shortly before noon hour on Dec. 7 and Innisfail RCMP Const. Craig Nelson could not stop smiling.
He was on Main Street with several of his colleagues, volunteers and even the Safety Bear, the detachment’s mascot who was dancing with Sparky the Fire Dog, the mascot for the Innisfail Fire Department.
And while the holiday season event is always festive, the weather was not bone-chilling cold, which historically has been the norm.
“This is the warmest I’ve ever had it before. I think it’s plus one or two out here. Definitely the weather has really cooperated for us,” said Nelson, whose detachment was leading the 28th annual Innisfail RCMP Charity Check Stop. “Everyone has come out, and everyone has smiles and we’re just having a blast.
“All of the people we are donating to this year have shown up to help out like they do every year. We had carollers come out; totally surprised us.”
This year the local Mounties went into their annual event hoping to surpass $14,065.70 raised in 2023, money that will go towards the Innisfail and District Food Bank, Innisfail Christmas Bureau and the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC).
The following day Nelson said $16,505.64 of cash and cheques was donated to the 2024 charity check stop, believed to be the second highest ever after a $17,181.05 total in 2021.
The three non-profits will each receive $5,501.88.
Nelson added this year’s event collected more than 1,000 pounds of food, which he believes is the highest ever achieved in the event’s history. The food will be donated to the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
As well, 34 boxes of holiday toys and clothes were also donated on Dec. 7.
Nelson said the items will be turned over to the Innisfail Christmas Bureau.
In the meantime, Nelson and his colleagues were clearly ecstatic on Dec. 7 with the response this year to help out the three non-profits.
This year’s event was the third in a row that saw representatives from the CACAC attend.
The Red Deer-based organization opened the doors last spring to its new groundbreaking $29-million Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence to work with children, youth, and families impacted by child abuse.
Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Ian Ihme, the detachment commander, played a key role in the early development of the centre during his past service with Red Deer RCMP’s General Investigation Section.
He was assigned to work with leading business people who desperately wanted to find a solution to a rash of suicides that jolted the city; a trio of young men and Lindsey More, a popular outgoing 22-year-old who tragically took her own life on Sept. 20, 2015.
Ihme was at the 28th annual Innisfail RCMP Charity Check Stop, mingling with his members, local peace officers, Innisfail firefighters and representatives of the sponsored non-profits, including the CACAC.
“The child advocacy centre obviously has a very strong place in my heart and has for a long time, and since I moved to Innisfail it continues to grow,” said Ihme. “For anybody that hasn’t been down there it is amazing the work that has been done, and what they have been able to accomplish in just a short amount of time.
“Even in Innisfail a lot our kids who have experienced child abuse have gone to the centre to receive help to have their forensic interviews done by the police officers and to be connected to services,” added Ihme. “It’s been great, not just for Innisfail but really for the whole Central Alberta community.”
Cassandra Galenzoski is the director of operations at the CACAC.
She attended the Innisfail Charity Check Stop on Dec. 7 with colleagues Dayna Wolfe, the centre's finance administrator and Carrie Bottomley, community development coordinator at CACAC.
“You can feel it as you're going by. The spirit is good. People are going through and donating,” said Galenzoski. “We love it here. We serve kids from here. We've got a good relationship with the police department, the fire department, and the victim services unit.
“We're thankful to be able to support the kids that are from Innisfail,” she said, noting Ihme’s contribution to the CACAC. “Staff sergeant Ihme helped us start the CACAC back in Red Deer; takes us right back to the origins.”
