By Sarah Rae

Cram-an-Ambulance collecting toys for 10th year

Dec 3, 2016 | 7:00 AM

WPD Ambulance wants to ensure every child has a present to open on Christmas day this year.

The tenth annual Cram-an-Ambulance campaign is in full swing already, with bins set up at businesses around the Battlefords.

“It’s really the community giving back to people that are less fortunate in a different way,” operations manager Jessica Stephens said. “Most of the time when you think about the food bank you think about food, whereas our Cram-an-Ambulance campaign is focusing on children receiving a gift as well when the families might not be able to provide that gift to them.”

People can drop off new, unwrapped toys in bins at participating businesses until Dec. 14, when Santa’s EMS Elves will pick up the bins, cram the ambulance and deliver the toys to the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre. The centre wraps the toys and allocates them to children in the community.

On the last day of the campaign on Dec. 14, WPD staff will also be at Walmart all day talking to shoppers and trying to collect as many toys as possible.

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Stephens said the campaign is always a success, but she’s hoping to do even better this year.

“I believe the demand is larger this year than it was last year, so we’re hoping to collect even more toys this year than we did last year,” she said.

WPD Ambulance will also be on hand at the Battlefords North Stars game Dec. 9 for the annual Teddy Toss. Fans are asked to bring new, unwrapped teddy bears to throw on the ice when asked.

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.