PENHOLD – Area residents and drivers passing through town reached into their pockets to help support this year’s Penhold Charity Check Stop.
The annual event took place along Highway 2A on Nov. 3.
“It’s an annual event held every year at the beginning of November,” said Jennifer Blaylock, family and community support services (FCSS) coordinator for the town. “We’ve been doing this for several years and we had beautiful weather for it this year.”
The four-hour event collected more than $1,700 in cash donations to help Penhold families this holiday season.
“We have the fee assistance program here in the community, which assists people with certain fees that they might need help covering for recreation programs,” she said. “As well, some of (the money raised) also goes to Christmas services in Red Deer for Christmas hampers.
"It goes directly into the hampers that they make for our residents,” said Blaylock.
Members of the Penhold Fire Department and one of the town’s two peace officers were also on hand to help out with the event.
“The fire department helps us every year as well as one of our peace officers. We’re so grateful for their help every year,” said Blaylock. “We couldn’t do it without them.”
No toys, food or clothing were collected during the check stop, but instead these items are collected during the Penhold Community Christmas event.
“We will have a donation bin set up at our community Christmas event and that collects food for the food bank, as well as toys for the Christmas Bureau,” she said, noting this year’s event takes place Nov. 23 at the Penhold Regional Multiplex.
Blaylock said the annual charity check stop goes a long way to helping Penhold families.
“That is why we do it. To help out people in our community,” Blaylock concluded.
