Spirit of the Season, Downtown Guelph’s largest annual festive event led by the Downtown Guelph Business Association (DGBA) on behalf of its 500+ members, has once again demonstrated the generosity and compassion of the local community.
This year’s event successfully raised an astounding $43,400 in support of two vital local charities.
"We are overwhelmed by the incredible support from our community,” said Chuck Nash, chair of the DGBA Board. Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors and the DGBA, Spirit of the Season was able to raise an incredible $32,400 for Keep Kids Fed At Home, a program of the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington which is dedicated to ensuring food security for children in need.
Additionally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph received $11,000, helping to fund mentorship programs that positively impact the lives of local youth.
“We know that our community is facing a food insecurity crisis, and with the cost of food continuing to climb, families in our community are struggling to make ends meet,” said Indu Arora, director of development at the Children’s Foundation.
“The support provided by Spirit of the Season is a true testament of community helping community, as these dollars will go to supporting our Keep Kids Fed At Home program, ensuring that severely food insecure children in our community have access to food on weekends and holidays.”
Shawna Peddle, associate vice-president, citizenship at Co-operators said “as the premier sponsor of the 2024 Spirit of the Season festival, we were grateful to see so much support for our local community, and for the incredible work of the Guelph Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington and Big Brother Big Sisters of Guelph. Co-operators purpose is financial security for Canadians and our communities, and this incredible support of organizations that lift up young people across our community in meaningful ways demonstrates that we truly are stronger together when we support each other”.
In just its second year, the 2024 Spirit of the Season festival drew tens of thousands of attendees, bringing the community together through generosity, festive events and meaningful charitable initiatives.
As the festival continues to grow, even more excitement and entertainment await in 2025, further strengthening our shared commitment to making a difference and supporting those in need.
For more information about Spirit of the Season and how to get involved in future events, visit here.