The Kinette Club of St. Albert was in for a huge surprise Saturday after organizers had given up hope it would reach its donation goal for its annual Christmas hamper campaign.
The president received an email Saturday from a man wanting to donate $10,000 for a shopping spree.
“Now we’re $10,000 richer and not in dire need,” said club president Julie Demott. “Our toys are filled. Our food hampers are filled. It’s the best I’ve ever seen them in the 20 years I’ve been at Kinette.”
Demott said when she received the email Saturday morning she was in disbelief.
“It’s just such an unbelievable feeling.”
Earlier in the week, the Kinette Club put out a plea for donations as it had no toys for about 40 St. Albert families. The group had already dipped into its operation accounts to pay for some of the donation items.
“He’s truly an angel. He’s either Santa Claus or an angel,” Demott said. “He completed Christmas for over 2,500 people in St. Albert. Without him, I don’t know what we would have done.”
READ MORE: Successful first delivery day for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous
The man behind the significant donation is Brian Cyr of St. Albert. He said he was reading the local paper when he saw the Kinette Club was short donations.
“We felt very fortunate this year and I felt compelled that I had to do something,” Cyr said. “I thought it was pretty special for me to have the opportunity to do that so I took advantage of it.”
Cyr and Kinette members went shopping Saturday. Cyr also managed to arrange for a St. Albert Transit bus to transport all of the food and toys to the warehouse.
“I’d really like to thank St. Albert Transit. I gave them an hour’s notice and they managed to bring one of their biggest buses down.”
The hampers are being delivered Sunday.
WATCH BELOW: Hundreds of elves were up early on Saturday to delivers thousands of gifts to Edmonton kids through 630 CHED Santas Anonymous.
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