Canadian Tire exceeds $100,000
Stores break six-figure total for Cheer Fund
They did it!
Regina’s three Canadian Tire stores set a goal of reaching an accumulated total of $100,000 in donations to the Leader-Post Christmas Cheer Fund.
Not only did they reach that goal with this year’s $24,000 contribution, they exceeded it.
In the past five years, Regina’s Canadian Tire stores have donated a total of $111,500 to the Christmas Cheer Fund.
For four consecutive years, the city’s three Canadian Tire stores joined forces to make the biggest single donation in the history of the Christmas Cheer Fund.
“In the back of our mind, we had a goal that we’d like to keep pushing this if we could to exceed a total contribution of over $100,000,” said Robert Harvey, owner of the North Albert Canadian Tire Store, adding that he was happy that this year’s donation put them well above that.
“Our funds are certainly challenged to meet all the different things we want to do in this city. We realize this is an important one. And the timing around Christmas, it’s something that you know is going to have some value for the people that get the money,” Harvey said.
“We don’t know how long we can keep contributing, but we certainly had a goal that we wanted to exceed $100,000,” he added. “Every year we have to revisit it. Can we do it again this year? And we were able to.”
Canadian Tire’s support of the Christmas Cheer Fund began in 2008, initiated by Jodi Harvey, Robert’s wife, after reading stories about the fund in the Leader-Post.
Each year’s donation includes money returned to the community by the national Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, as well as contributions from the owners of Regina’s three Canadian Tire stores — the Harveys, Richard Line of the east store, and South Albert’s Daniel Leroux.
The total donated to the Christmas Cheer Fund by Regina’s Canadian Tire stores has mushroomed every year. In 2008, an $18,000 donation was received. That jumped to $20,000 in 2009. The following year, it increased to $22,500. And last year, it hit $27,000.
“I’m pretty excited about it, really,” Harvey said.
The charities chosen to receive money from this year’s Christmas Cheer Fund are four Regina shelters that provide safety and support for women and children in domestic abuse situations: SOFIA House, Transition House, The YWCA Regina’s Isabel Johnson Shelter and WISH Safe House.
Donations of $10 or more are taxdeductible, with receipts issued in the name of The Leader-Post Foundation.
The Leader-Post and the foundation cover all administrative costs associated with the fund, which means that every cent of your donation will be split among these organizations.
There are several ways to make a donation:
• Online by going to leaderpost.com/ cheerfund.
• By dropping off a donation at the reception desk in the front office of the Leader-Post, 1964 Park St., weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• By mailing a cheque or money order to The Leader-Post Christmas Cheer
Fund, Box 1130, Regina, Sask., S4P 3B4. An official donation receipt from the foundation will be mailed to you by the end of the campaign.
• By making a donation using a credit card. An ongoing ad in the Leader-Post provides details.
If there is a special story behind your donation, feel free to tell us about it.