The annual Firefighters For Families donation drive for Christmas charities in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows is under way on Saturday, Dec. 13.
The boot drive is happening at high traffic locations across the two cities, with the promise of thousands to be donated later this week, when the CPKC Holiday Train rolls into the two cities on Friday night for free concerts featuring the Barenaked ladies. Big cheques – both in the size of the novelty paperwork and in the thousands of dollars donated – along with collected toys and non-perishable food, will be given to the Friends in Need Food Bank, and the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society.
The donations will be collected today until 3 p.m.
In Maple Ridge, the firefighters are at all three Save-On Foods stores, FreshCo, Canadian tire, and at No Frills.
In Pitt Meadows, are at Real Canadian Superstore and Tim Hortons at Meadowtown Mall, and at Save-On Foods, Starbucks, and Shoppers Drug Mart at Meadowvale Mall.
People were generous on Saturday morning, as one man came forward and put a $50 bill into a firefighters boot.