Three Kamloops non-profits to benefit from $36,000 raised through BCICF Christmas Cheer Fund

Photo: Kristen Holliday

Castanet Kamloops general manager Shannon Mitchell (left) and BCICF executive director Wenda Noonan pose for a photo on Wednesday outside Castanet's office on Victoria Street. This year's Christmas Cheer Fund, run by BCICF with support from Castanet Kamloops, raised more than $36,000 for three local charities.

The 2024 Christmas Cheer fundraiser brought in more than $36,000, which will benefit three Kamloops charities.

Wenda Noonan, BC Interior Community Foundation executive director, said a total of $36,132.46 was raised through the two-month fundraising campaign — just shy of its $40,000 goal, but a marked increase over last year’s total.

“We're up 20 per cent, which is incredible,” Noonan said.

She said the biggest highlight this year was the Christmas Cheer donation station, which was set up at 250 Victoria St. with support from a number of local businesses and other community volunteers.

People who dropped by the storefront could get festive photos taken by donation while connecting with representatives from BCICF and beneficiary non-profits.

“It was a culmination of everything that's great about Kamloops,” Noonan said. “We saw all of the positives of our community and how our community is so giving.”

Money raised through the fundraiser will go to three charities — the Y Women’s Shelter, the Centre for Seniors Information Kamloops, and BGC Kamloops’ Journey Fund.

“I think more people were aware of the Christmas Cheer fund and the value that the charities bring. …Almost all of our community was reflected in the three charities,” Noonan said.

She said BCICF will take a certain percentage of the total amount for an endowment fund. Earnings from this fund will be given out to charities chosen each year.

“We will take a small amount of our fundraising every year and continue to grow that endowed fund so that money will be invested forever, and the interest from that money will go to a Christmas Cheer charity forever,” Noonan said.

She noted charities that receive funds through Christmas Cheer aren’t bound to restrictions on how they choose to spend the money.

“They can use it however they see best for their operations, and that is something that is so hard in the non-profit world for charities to get is that unrestricted funding,” she said.

“We do what's called trust-based philanthropy, and we trust that the charities are doing good work, and that they know where their community needs those dollars to go to.”

This was the first year BCICF took full responsibility of the longstanding Christmas Cheer Fund, with support from media partner Castanet Kamloops.

The foundation took over the annual campaign last year after local newspaper Kamloops This Week, which had run the fundraiser since 2014, shut down in the fall of 2023.

Noonan said in the coming year, she plans to launch a Christmas Cheer committee to help grow the fundraiser.

“I think Christmas Cheer is going to be bigger than the Community Foundation,” she said.

She said she hopes to include members of the community interested in becoming a "Cheer leader." The committee would help evaluate new beneficiary charities, bring forward new ideas for community engagement, and grow the donation station.

“It is a community project, so I would like to incorporate the community into that — I'm really looking forward to that," Noonan said.

This year's donors include: