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Christmas gift drives upcoming at Castlegar Rebels games

Fans attending upcoming Castlegar Rebels games will have a chance to participate
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An angel cutout hangs from a Christmas tree. Photo: Alicja/Pixabay

Initiatives to bring in Christmas gifts for seniors and children will be taking place at four upcoming Castlegar Rebels games.

Fans who attend home games on Nov. 26, Nov. 30, and Dec. 3 will have a chance to partake in the annual Project GWEN Angel Tree gift drive.

GWEN stands for Giving What Elders Need. The initiative falls under the broader Increasing Recreation Involving Seniors (IRIS) program of the Castlegar Community Response Network.

On those three dates, the Castlegar and District Community Complex will feature a Christmas tree in the lobby with tags hanging off its branches. The tags will feature suggestions of gifts that people can buy and donate for local seniors.

Requested donations this year include: blankets, hats, scarves, gloves, chocolates, and gift cards for local restaurants, grocery stores, and coffee shops, said organizer Sandi McCreight. Cash donations are also welcomed and are used to purchase items.

“The Rebels fans are so amazing. So they bring a gift item for a local senior, and then they get … a free ticket for a hockey game.”

Those that choose to pick a tag off the tree and buy a gift can bring the item in to the next game. A representative from Project GWEN will be there to receive the donated gifts.

READ MORE: Project GWEN helps seniors

There will also be a Teddy Bear Toss at the Rebels’ final home game before the holidays on Dec. 17.

Mitch Rinas, vice president of the Castlegar Rebels, said that attendees can bring stuffed animals to the game for the toss.

“When the Rebels score their first goal, the item is tossed onto the ice,” he said. The items are then picked up by the team and volunteers, to be donated to local organizations and then distributed to kids who might need them.”



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