Community event

Lieutenant Governor Gordon Barnhart is entering the final weeks of his term as the Queen's representative in Saskatchewan.

As one of his final acts, Barnhart will host the annual New Year's Day Levee, which happens between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Government House in Regina.

The New Year’s Day Levee is a tradition that began on Jan. 1, 1884, when Lieutenant Governor Edgar Dewdney held the first levee in Sask. 

The event happens across Canada, with the Lieutenant Governor of each province receiving the public on the first day of the New Year.

About 1,700 families in Regina will have a better, brighter Christmas because of the generosity of others that’s because that's how many hampers have gone out into the community this holiday season.

Regina Food Bank president and CEO Wayne Hellquist says some of his best memories of Christmas are around the family meal and celebrations.

“Every single family in our community deserves that experience,” said Hellquist.

The hampers will feed between 6 -7,000 people in the Queen City and this year they also include gifts for children.

The Leader Post’s annual Christmas Cheer Fund has raised $190,000, which will be split between four shelters in Regina.

However, spokesperson Irene Seiberling that amount to grow over the next several days.

“It looks like for the fourth consecutive year we will have a record breaking year,” said Seiberling.

Seiberling says that the money goes towards the services and programming that the shelters offer.

For a 2011 tax receipt you can donate until Dec. 31, but Seiberling states that anyone can donate to the fundraiser at any time of the year.

Souls Harbour Mission helped to bring an early Christmas for Regina’s less fortunate on Friday afternoon with a dinner and presents at the Good News Chapel.

Mayor Pat Fiacco was among dozens of volunteers who prepared and served a traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixings to more than 200 people, including Tanya Bunnie.

Bunnie has been coming for the last decade for the Christmas meal. She says the holidays would be a struggle for her and her six children without the meal.

There is only a few days left to donate to this year’s Salvation Army Kettle Campaign.

Major Doug Binner says the Regina campaign has raised $130,000, just $20,000 short of their goal.

“The kettles will be out in the malls until 4 p.m. on Christmas eve,” says Binner.

However, Binner is confident that they will reach $150,000 as it gets closer to Christmas.

He adds the Salvation Army still needs volunteers.

Edited by News Talk Radio's Chris Morin.

The Canada Remembers International Air Show will return to Saskatoon for the first weekend of August in 2012 at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.

Director Brian Swidrovich says 2009 was supposed to be the last run, but due to rain that year and a cancellation the next year, this year appeared to be the final run for the air show.

He says that there are still those in the community who value the importance of the air show.

An upsetting situation for a fellow teammate has stirred a Prince Albert Peewee hockey team to try and make his Christmas a little better.

The Peewee III Ranger White are a tightknit team composed of 11- and 12-year-olds.

“We’re really close. We always like to talk. There is a lot of talk in the dressing room,” said Ranger goalie Hunter Boyer.

Over 150 volunteers joined Rawlco employees for Rock 102’s fifth annual Toy Soldier Wrap Day program on Saturday morning, where 17,000 toys were wrapped for Christmas to be delivered to the less fortunate.

Rock 102’s morning co-host Watson says that a surprising amount of children go without gifts this Christmas. Along with the Salvation Army, Rock 102 hopes to give those kids something under the tree this year.

“There are 17,000 toys here,” said Watson. “We’ve got a lot of wrapping to do.”

The Federated Co-op has donated more than $111,000 to the Children's Hospital Foundation thanks to sales from Saskatchewan Roughriders products.

Linebacker Mike McCullough says it is a worthy cause that he and his teammates believe in.

“There is nothing more important than kids,” said McCullough.

“We should protect our most important resources, which is the kids.”

Children's Hospital President Brynn Boback-Lane says the foundation is grateful for the donation.

Jessica has been on both sides of CJME’s Santas Anonymous.

“When we went through Santas Anonymous, one thing that really touched us is the fact that somebody was out there that cared enough to be able to give our children a couple of presents to open on Christmas morning,” she said, speaking to News Talk Radio’s CJME Morning News.

She said being a recipient of Santas Anonymous was as important for her as a parent and it was for her children.