The annual Charity Shopping Night at Willowbrook Shopping Centre kicked off the holiday shopping season by raising more than $33,000 for area community groups.
Shoppers could purchase tickets for exclusive after-hours shopping with a variety of deals and specials at the local mall as well as a chance to get in on draws for merchandise valued at more than $26,000.
“Over 3,300 tickets were sold,” noted Kaylesha Penner, the marketing director for Willowbrook.
In addition to ticket sales, donations were accepted and all the funds go to the community groups.
Many of the groups that benefit from the event had volunteers on hand to help hand out treats, take tickets, provide information, or help in various ways.
Benefiting from Charity Shopping Night this year were:
Canadian Cancer Society
Langley Community Services Society
Special Olympics Langley
Langley School District Foundation
Langley Pos-Abilities
Fairy Godmother Foundation
Fort Langley Lions
Knights of Columbia, Council 2552 and St. Matthew’s 9534
Inclusion Langley
Plea Community Services
Cloverdale Christmas Hamper program
Autism Speaks Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Fraser Valley West
Salvation Army Gateway of Hope
Lower Mainland Down Syndrome Society
Small Animal Rescue Society of BC
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Don Christian Elementary
Lizette Etsebeth and Alicia Rickards are with the Fairy Godmother Foundation, and handed out treats during the Charity Shopping Night on Nov. 20. The foundation is one of the charities that benefits from the event. (Black Press)Kya Bezanson and Santa (aka Christopher Lakusta) were at Charity Shopping Night at Willowbrook Shopping Centre. The after-hours event allowed shoppers special access to deals and all ticket and prize draw funds go to several charities. (Heather Colpitts/Black Press)Inclusion Langley helped out at Charity Shopping Night. Andrew Baratta was popular, handing out chocolate candies to customers. (Black Press)Andrea Unrau, Sandra Nash and Catherine Crouch, members of the Caminando Carollers , were dressed in Victorian-style garb as they wandered Willowbrook Shopping Centre during Charity Shopping Night. (Black Press)Annika Peterson had her digital caricature done as a comic book character. In the background Ted Couling worked up a stylized piece of art for her mom, Lisette Peterson. (Black Press)Guila Abad, Cassie Hrelia and Alyssa Hrelia, holding up Jeanine Banting, have helped out at the Charity Shopping Night for the past three years. After the hard work was done, they had some time for fun. (Black Press)
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