Salvation Army Major Ed Dean holds some cash while standing with Les Nemesh of the Klassic Kruizers Kar Klub. Club members donated the cash and the toys for children in need this Christmas. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Christmas toys

Cruising into Christmas: car club donates toys to Salvation Army

Dec 4, 2024 | 1:12 PM

In a shared commitment to holiday cheer and family, Prince Albert’s Klassic Kruizers Kar Klub gave a bunch of toys to the local Salvation Army, which was glad to take them.

Club President Les Nemesh said on Wednesday that members donated a toy as part of their annual potluck Christmas dinner. Those toys and some cash have now been passed on to the Salvation Army for distribution.

“We know that there’s a need for toys and everything else,” Nemesh said. “The core values of the Klassic Kruizers are family and community. The Salvation Army is also both community and families too, so it was simple.”

Every year, the Salvation Army collects toys for local children ages 14 and younger (older are considered old enough to have jobs and be able to supply their own needs) and donates those toys to families that apply.

Members of the Klassic Kruizers also help ring bells during the Christmas Kettle Campaign and will be doing so this Saturday at the Superstore. While this is their third year donating toys, the group has been donating their time to the kettle campaign for over a decade.

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The need for volunteers to run the kettles exists every year, said Major Ed Dean.

“We will serve about 225 families, which is about 500 children, this Christmas so as you can imagine, it takes a few toys to make that happen,” he said.

He said having partnerships like the one with the car club really helps them fulfill the need for toys for children that might not otherwise get them.

“It’s wonderful to have those partnership because it’s a big task but it’s community and community helps community, which we are so grateful for,” Dean said.

Throughout the years, Dean said he has seen demand fluctuate and sometime, new people that have never needed help before come in and, occasionally, people that received help in the past repay the help with donations.

“It’s not about a handout, it’s about a hand up and when we can help a family get a hand up, it’s what community does, we help each other.”

Money from the Christmas Kettle campaign does not go to toys. It pays to operate their meal program for people who may not have other sources of food.

“We’re serving over 50,000 meals a year and those funds go directly to help fund that,” he said.

In addition to serving a hot meal every day out of their building along Central Avenue, they open the doors to the warming shelter between 11 and 1 pm.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social