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Edmonton and Calgary have had many great competitions over the years and we have the right man to lead a friendly 2021 Christmas fight.
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“We came together as a province as we seek to raise $ 600,000 last year for the Salvation Army’s Kettle Campaign,” says Patrick LaForge, campaign north president.
“We jointly raised more than $ 500,000 before Christmas last year, but Calgary raised more than Edmonton.”
Kettle funds support Salvation Army programs throughout the year and at Christmas, the funds especially help with hot food programs, toy baskets, school supplies, Christmas assistance for those in need, job search and many more endeavors. .
“The last two years have been rough for many, but if you drop a toonie, loonie or 25 cents on a Salvation Army Red Kettle, you will be part of the Edmonton team and help those in need,” says LaForge. “I know I will play my role.”
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It already has. The former Edmonton Oilers president, for the first time, requested and obtained permission for the campaign cauldron volunteers to stand inside Rogers Place at hockey games.
“Between 15,000 and 17,000 hockey fans attend the games and most of them are very generous people,” he says.
“Personally, I’ll be volunteering at a Salvation Army red kettle at a local Costco outlet to encourage donations.”
But stay tuned for more innovative ideas.
Remember that LaForge, who now runs his own company specializing in business development strategies for small and medium-sized businesses, has one of the best marketing minds in Edmonton.
He is the former Lac La Biche farmer and NAIT business graduate who created the first NHL Hockey Heritage Classic in 2003.
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LaForge did so by calling Wayne Gretzky and Habs Hall of Famer Guy LaFleur and telling each of them that they had challenged the other to a game of outdoor hockey.
Some 57,167 hockey fans braved a -19 temperature on game day to see retired Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens square off at Commonwealth Stadium. It was followed by a regular game of Oilers-Habs.
The crowd doubled the previous NHL single-game attendance record and don’t be surprised if LaForge steps up our Red Kettle campaign this year.
“My inspiration and phenomenal appreciation for the Salvation Army comes from my late father, who fought with the Winnipeg Rifles throughout World War II,” he says.
“It was on the front line in 1940 and landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944.”
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He added: “My father said that he often slept on cold, damp ground and that Sally Ann was the only army that really cared for her soldiers.
“The hot food and drinks that his volunteers brought to the men in the trenches undoubtedly lifted the spirits of the battle-weary soldiers.”
Founded in the United Kingdom and arriving in Canada in 1882, the Salvation Army is now the largest direct non-governmental provider of social services in the country, serving more than 2.1 million people each year in 400 Canadian communities and 130 countries around the world. The teapots are already available and can be seen around the city until December 24.
Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, there will again be a virtual Hope in the City – Red Kettle launch event on November 18 at noon, via Facebook and YouTube.
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Register online at SalvationArmy.ca/Alberta.
The guest speaker will be Mark Little, CEO and President of Suncor Energy.
Wow Edmonton Wow!
Never say Never
Edmonton firefighter Wes Bauman had to abandon his recent attempt to set a new Guinness World Record by staying in an ice bath for three hours.
“The ice moved after an hour and it became uncomfortable on my back, which began to cramp,” says Bauman, who was looking to improve his own world record of two hours and 45 minutes on ice.
“After 90 minutes I had to seriously analyze my position and I thought that the last thing I wanted was to be carried away on a stretcher without being able to speak.”
But Bauman says his record-breaking attempt at a recent beer festival is just one step on the road to helping science understand how the body can adapt to exposure to freezing.
“I hope to try again in the spring to reach the three-hour mark,” he says. “There will be many opportunities, but I must discuss any attempts with my team of five and sponsors and promoters.
“My team brings ice to our tank, monitors me closely and cleans up later. The good news from this latest attempt was that we raised some funds for our firefighter’s childhood muscular dystrophy fund. “
Reference-edmontonjournal.com