There is a half-century-long tradition of community generosity behind the Digby/Annapolis Christmas Daddies telethon, which was held recently at the Royal Canadian Legion hall in Digby and televised on Eastlink.
More than $16,000 was raised this year – the event’s 50th-anniversary year – although the final fundraising total had yet to be determined.
Providing the latest figure on Dec. 8 – a week after this year’s telethon – Jackie Titus-Smith, treasurer/board member with Digby/Annapolis Christmas Daddies, said the amount raised stood at $16,142.20.
The total was expected to rise with donations coming in from people who, for whatever reason, perhaps didn’t get to call in on the day of the event.
Asked how this year’s fundraising total stacks up compared to previous telethons, Titus-Smith said, “It has held its own for the last three years, but we have come down since 2016.”
Money raised from the telethon is used to help local families in need by providing them with a gift hamper and food hamper with all the items to make a full Christmas dinner, along with some candy and fruit, she said.
The eight-hour telethon has been “a great support,” she said, to help make the holiday season a bit brighter for people in need.
The event is made possible thanks to a team of people who donate their time and effort to the cause.
“We have close to 100 volunteers that come together to make this telethon happen,” Titus-Smith said. “It is a lot of work to put on this telethon for eight hours, but at the end of the day ... we do it for the children and know that we are making a difference in our community.”
