INNISFAIL – The Innisfail & Area Food Bank need not worry about immediate financial support to start 2024.
Staff at the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 stepped up once again with its annual Innisfail Legion Food Bank Drive.
“It's great to see that the staff will work together, and the patrons as well. Everybody works together to raise this kind of money,” said Les Nickel, the legion’s newly crowned president. “It really shows us as a part of the community that we can do these kinds of things, and help the needy.”
Staff at the legion raised $3,300; money that was officially handed over to the local food bank on Jan. 18.
Kayla Briggs, legion bar manager for the past six months, said the annual fundraiser was organized for many years by former bar manager Karen Derks.
“I have been a member here for 12 years and this has been going on every year since I’ve been here,” said Nickel.
Briggs added Derks still works at the legion, not as bar manager but in another role one day a week.
“She came in and volunteered her time to sell tickets,” said Briggs.
This year, said Briggs, the annual fundraiser began in December with the purchase of two bottles of alcohol that were then raffled off through draws on weekends in December.
Briggs said legion customers then helped out with their own donated bottles of alcohol, which were then raffled off in an even bigger ticket raffle draw during the first week of January.
“I think we had 17 bottles donated from customers for us to raffle off,” said Briggs, adding the big draw was held on Jan. 6. “We always do it after Christmas so that the food bank gets money after Christmas, so that's why we always do it for January.
“We are happy to be able to support the food bank,” added Briggs, noting the generosity of customers. “I think people just gave us money as well to put towards it.”
Heather Taylor, coordinator of the food bank, was elated with the generous donation, as it helps her agency’s operations to remain stable for pretty much the rest of the calendar year.
“We are set very well for this year,” said Taylor, a past president of the legion and the first ever female-elected leader of the hallowed institution. “This (donation) is special to me because of my connection to the legion. I've been a member here for 40 years. I am a life member, and so I was the first lady president.
“The legion is very close to my heart and the staff here have done a wonderful job every year around this,” she said, noting her agency’s demand for service has stabilized after a fall surge. “We didn't find the demand as high in December.
“It wasn’t down but it wasn’t a huge increase; about seven per cent over the same month last year.”
