Our Rotary club’s two popular winter fundraising events, which currently form its major boost for local charities, have together raised just short of £12,000.
Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club’s long-standing Tree of Light brought in £6,000 and its equally well-established Santa sleigh activities added £5,812.
Beneficiaries from the Tree of Light will be Hope House, Midlands Air Ambulance and Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.
The Santa sleigh attracted large turnouts of residents when Santa and his elves visited suburbs of Shrewsbury in the run-up to Christmas. Families waived enthusiastically as the sleigh wound its way round streets in Monkmoor, Harlescott and Mount Pleasant on separate nights. The sleigh was also warmly welcomed on a trip round the village of Pontesbury.
The Santa visits in November and December included the switch on of the town’s Christmas lights as well as appearances at local supermarkets. As a result, people have given generously – despite the cost of living crisis affecting everyone’s pocket. Said club president Rotarian Fred McDonogh: “As always we were truly impressed and humbled by the warmth and generosity of the Shrewsbury community. Santa and Rudolph were very grateful to Furrows for providing Rotary with a wonderful towing vehicle beautifully decorated with the name ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Ranger’.
We were equally grateful to the Honda technicians who quickly fixed the sleigh generator so that we could continue our sound and light show.”
