Skip to content
Sponsored Content

1st St. Albert Scouts Gear up for a New Fundraiser this Fall

Get ready for the Scout’s 2020 fundraisers. Online coffee orders replace the popcorn campaign, and with a few tweaks to ensure social distancing, the Christmas tree sale at the Enjoy Garden Center is coming soon. Coffee orders are open from October 12 to November 15, and Christmas tree sales start the third week of November.

Scouts Canada uses nature, fun adventures, and the discovery of new things and experiences to help children build resilience, develop character, and learn life skills. Scouter Hawkeye knows a thing or two about adaptation and resiliency, and he’s putting those skills use on behalf of the 1st St. Albert Scouts, where he’s been a commissioner for three years. With the pandemic hampering usual fundraising efforts, the Scouts are learning how to roll with the changes. Scouter Hawkeye, aka Doug Shoults, explains the new fundraising venture, and why it’s so important to support the Scouts.

“I got involved when my son became a Scout,” says Shoults. “I decided to volunteer. Usually we have an average of 70 kids in the local group, but numbers are down this year due to COVID-19. We are also down in leaders and that affects how many children we can have in each group. We have one qualified Scouter for every eight kids, and we have a two-Scouter rule – two adults around the kids at any given time. With COVID-19, we have implemented extra safety rules to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.”

Locals are used to seeing the Scouts go door to door selling popcorn, which has been their main fundraiser for years. With that not being a safe option during the pandemic, the Scouts have turned to a contactless venture to raise funds. They have partnered with Equator Coffee Roasters for the fall 2020 campaign.

“Fundraisers make it possible for everyone to join the Scouts, regardless of their financial status,” explains Shoults. “Through fundraising we have also been able to send Scouts to Kinderdsteg, Switzerland and to a Pacific jamboree in British Columbia where they spent a week with 900 other Canadian Scouts. Fundraising also helps the Scouts do things like zip lining, rock climbing, throwing tomahawks… all our fundraising goes into programming so the kids can enjoy activities like these at little or no cost to the families.”

The coffee fundraiser will go a very long way in supporting the programs, and is designed to benefit the local Scouts in each community.

To order your coffee and support the 1st St. Albert Scouts, keep an eye on the Scouts Canada homepage and on www.scoutcoffee.ca, where you will find easy instructions on how to select the Scout group you wish to support, order and pay online, then simply wait for your delivery, which will arrive at your door.

As Shoults explains, “The kids will still do the fundraising, and be able to do it safely.”

He is thrilled with the partnership, as Equator Coffee Roasters provides a fair trade, organic product that is roasted right in Canada. “It’s sustainable coffee and a very good company,” he notes.

One annual fundraiser that has not changed, with the exception of extra safeguards due to the pandemic, is the Christmas tree sale.

Enjoy Garden Center is a great partner that has reached out to us,” Shoults explains of the venue that hosts the 1st St. Albert Scouts Christmas tree sale. “They provide a heated building, access to internet, etc.”

Christmas tree sales start during the 3rd week of November and run until the second week of December.

Scouts Canada and 1st St. Albert Scouts, change the lives of children for the better by helping them learn vital skills that carry them through life. It’s easy for you to be a part of this change by simply purchasing delicious, sustainable coffee online and choosing your Christmas tree from their fundraiser. Help build resilient kids today by showing them that even though longstanding fundraising traditions change, the results can be even better. So, say goodbye to popcorn this year, and hello to Scouts Coffee that you can sip by your beautiful Christmas tree.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks