Pennies might be becoming a thing of the past but the goal of the News Bulletin’s annual coin campaign remains the same: make sure no child goes empty handed on Christmas morning.
The annual Coins for Kids fundraising campaign kicks off today (Nov. 18). Until Dec. 16, we’ll collect donations of coins at our office at 777 Poplar St., which we’ll then count, deposit and distribute to two charities in Nanaimo that support children: the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive and the Nanaimo Boys and Girls Club.
The money goes to the toy drive to help purchase toys for kids, from newborn to age 16. For more on the toy drive, please see page 7.
The boys and girls club uses the money to buy toys and provide a Christmas hamper to their families in need.
The campaign, which began in 1996 as Pennies for Presents, has raised more than $160,000 for children at Christmas. All money donated stays in Nanaimo and helps local children.
With the federal government phasing out the penny, the campaign has been renamed Coins for Kids to more accurately reflect the donations collected.
Schools and businesses are traditionally big supporters of the campaign, often challenging others in a race to raise money.
But anyone can participate – just drop off your money at the News Bulletin or one of the community drop off locations that will be announced in the coming weeks. The money doesn’t have to be rolled – we’ll take care of that, too.
We’ll also bring stories of groups fundraising for Coins for Kids, as well as the volunteers who help make it happen.
For more information, please call 250-734-4621 or e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com