Studies have found that those who spend money on others have a greater level of happiness than if they had spent the money on themselves.
Board game/video game/book shop Oceanside Entertainment has been putting that idea to the test with its Christmas Cheer program that ended on December 3.
“We have been gathering money donations and toys and with the money, we are buying presents for the kids wholesale,” said Oceanside owner Karyne Bailey. “That way the money stretches even further.”
On November 22, the shop launched another campaign where customers could buy a present in the store for the Christmas Cheer program and receive 50 per cent off the donated gift. All month gifts and games started to fill up under the Christmas Cheer tree at the shop on Marine Avenue.
“There were a number of years that I received help from campaigns such as Christmas Cheer,” said Bailey. “Now that the store is successful, it is time to give back. Tuesday [December 5] we gathered everything together and sent it off to the campaign folks.”
Just under $1,000 was collected in donations to buy gifts for the Christmas Cheer Campaign, said Bailey.
According to the Christmas Cheer website: The Powell River and District Christmas Cheer committee was founded in 1948, after a shutdown at the mill left many families destitute. Some local women collected food and gifts and gathered in the basement of a home in Townsite and started the hampers for friends in need.
That tradition continues today with the program helping between 150 and 300 families per year. The Christmas Cheer program relies only on donations from within the qathet community.
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