“The community members of Bonnyville never cease to amaze me with their generosity, and (Saturday) they really showed it.”
That was how Bonnyville RCMP S/Sgt. Sarah Parke described the response on Saturday, Dec. 15, to the first local Pack the PC fundraiser for the Bonnyville Food Bank.
“It’s just something that we pulled together recently on short notice, but, we knew that we could count on the Town of Bonnyville to pull through, and they certainly did.”
Shoppers at the Bonnyville Sobeys were greeted by members from the detachment, along with peace officers from the MD of Bonnyville. They were busy accepting non-perishable food items.
“We actually ended up having to bring in a second vehicle because the box of the first truck started to overflow,” Parke explained.
After two pick-up trucks were filled to the brim, over 1,300-kg of food was collected.
Resident Kristy Kurtz made a donation to help support the community, and had to brainstorm when she learned the pre-made hamper bags Sobeys had prepared were sold out.
“They were out of the bags, and I was just going to grab one of those. (The food bank) said they were short on toilet paper and canned goods,” she said.
MD public safety department Sgt. Charlene Skinner said the interactions she had with the public was the highlight of the day.
“They’re very happy to give, and lots of things have been going really well. It shows by the response of filling the two police trucks,” she noted.
The area was happy to donate what they could for a worthy cause, and allowed the RCMP to help the food bank out.
“We want to give back to the community, and give back to those who might be less fortunate or in need around the Christmas season, to help them fill their pantries a little bit with some food,” expressed Parke.
While she thinks it’s important to give back throughout the year, Skinner believes the donated items is going to be good for the food bank.
“It’s very important to do this stuff, because there are a lot of people out there that do need help, not only this time of year, but all year. If we can be a small part of that, then it’s good to give and help,” she said.
Although the weather was a little chilly for volunteers, that didn’t impact the spirit of those collecting donations.
“It was chilly out there, but our spirits were warm and bright. It was really nice out there, good camaraderie with the MD peace officers. It’s a great partnership for a good cause,” Parke explained.
