The 2011 East Kootenay Operation Christmas Child campaign winds-up on Saturday, Nov. 26. After this date the gift-filled shoeboxes get loaded on a semi trailer headed for the main worldwide distribution center in Calgary.

Samaritans Purse will deliver the shoeboxes to children around the world living in the midst of poverty, disease, war and natural disaster.

As part of Samaritans Purse rebuilding efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and subsequent hurricanes and cholera outbreak, 70,000 shoeboxes in 2011 have been committed to Haiti and will be used to bring, hope, joy and love to children there.

Last year Canadians filled 640,714 boxes.

Here in the East Kootenay our goal this year is to send over 6,000 boxes.

Tarja Nolin, the East Kootenay coordinator who heads up a group of local volunteers, encourages everyone filling a box with gifts to deliver it as soon as you can to a drop-off center close by.

Please remember to enclose a $7 donation to cover the shipping costs of getting your shoebox to a child in need.

For more information you can go on line to samaritanspurse.ca or Operation Christmas Child Canada.

Please drop-off your gift box at anyone of the following locations by Saturday, November 26.

In Cranbrook:     

Most banks,

McDonalds,

The Real Canadian Super Store

Pharmasave

World Gym

In Kimberley:

RBC.

Blarchmont Learning Center

Lindsey Park School

In the Elk Valley

Extra Foods in Fernie

A&W in Sparwood

East Kootenay Credit Union Elkford

By Gary Cavers. Media Relations, Operation Christmas Child

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