With a little bit of help from their friends with the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins, Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes were loaded up onto a truck and shipped, where they will make their way to kids in need.
The Bruins helped load the boxes onto the truck late Sunday afternoon. Organizer Jillian Ursu said there were 980 shoeboxes from Estevan and area, which were gathered at the Estevan Alliance Church.
“It’s down from previous years but still quite a large number,” she said. “It was great. (The Bruins) have helped for many years. They packed them in just over five minutes flat and there were over 46 cartons. They did a great job.”
People would gather specific hygiene items and school supplies for the boxes and small toys for kids in need overseas and on specific missions.
From Estevan, the boxes will go to a Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Canada processing centre in Calgary.
“There, they just check and make sure the shoeboxes have nothing that would have trouble getting through customs,” Ursu said. “If someone put in candy, that’s taken out… they will keep the box in its integrity as it came and then they take out if they absolutely have to.”
From Calgary they will go to the country they’re assigned, which could be any one of several missions Samaritan’s purse delivers to.
