Annual “Fill the Bus” Fundraiser Returns
Annual “Fill the Bus” Fundraiser Returns
Connecting Communities in Action & the Salamanca School District Team Up
As the holiday festivities approach, we are reminded of the true spirit of Christmas and the best gift of all - the gift of giving. What better way to spread a little bit of magic and joy than by coming together as a community and supporting the Fill the Bus event on Saturday, December 9th from 10:00am-2:00pm.
The Fill the Bus benefit is celebrating its third year and continues to grow as a joint effort between Connecting Communities in Action (CCA) and the Salamanca Schools Transportation Department. Together the CCA’s team, Angel Fisher, Corrie Phetteplace, and Bridget Sanford, join Christy Oakes and her team from the School’s Transportation Department to create this yearly event filled with seasonal fun for all ages. This year you can expect a long list of favorites to add to your holiday calendar: basket raffles, pictures with Santa, a small petting zoo, and more! Even Buddy the Elf will be making an appearance, singing his heart out to all the best holiday karaoke songs. You will not want to miss that performance!
Adding to the holiday spirit, you can also find a “Letters to Santa” mailbox at the event where kids can bring their own letters ready to mail out to the North Pole. This has become a very sweet tradition for families to watch their own pieces of mail sent off to Santa in these specialty marked mailboxes.
A day filled with magical memories, the CCA and Salamanca School’s Transportation Department kindly asks their guests to bring a donation to Fill the Bus! Talking with Bridget Sanford of the CCA on what is needed, she expressed, “CCA welcomes all food donations, especially canned items. A special ‘Holiday Shopping List’ is provided at this event for individuals shopping for donations at Save-A-Lot.” So, there is an option to shop that day and gift as many items as you would like based on the needs of the organization. A convenient way to stop into the Save-A-Lot and grab whatever you can to make a difference to those in need. Bridget also mentioned that the “CCA also accepts toys and books for distribution at this event”, meaning you can bring or buy something special to really add to a family’s holiday wishes.
All proceeds from the event will go directly to support the CCA’s Nutrition Department which offers an in-house pantry, a community kitchen, and a community garden. The pantry is open daily to all Monday-Friday from 9:00am-12:00pm, as well as 1:00-3:00pm. The community kitchen offers hot meals to go, Monday-Thursday 3:00-4:00pm. The community garden is a wonderfully thought-out project that begins the process in March by growing vegetable plants in their greenhouse, distributing these plants to the garden or customers to take home, and then they are harvested to benefit the pantry and kitchen services. With events like Fill the Bus, the CCA is then able to use donations to go right back into the giving nature of the organization and directly benefit the area. They also accept donations throughout the year and welcome any volunteers looking to get involved in the organization. You can find out more information on Connecting Communities in Action on their website at www.ccaction.org, as well as by reaching out to Angel Fisher, afisher@ccaction.org for a volunteer application.
This is your chance to make your way onto the Nice List and come by the Fill the Bus event, Saturday December 9th from 10:00am-2:00pm. It will be held at the Salamanca Save-A-Lot, who graciously offered their lot at 35 Church Street. The organizers hope to see everyone join in on the holiday fun as Bridget Sanford of the CCA shares her well wishes for the event, “CCA and the Salamanca Central School Transportation Department look forward to another successful Fill the Bus Event on December 9, 2023. Everyone is welcome to stop by, listen to some holiday karaoke, take a picture with Santa, drop off a letter to Santa, check out our raffle baskets or enjoy some holiday cheer!”. So, bring your friends and family to celebrate the gift of giving and surround yourself with holiday cheer as we support the community together.
CCA’s next Fundraiser will be our annual Pot O’ Gold Soup bowl Fundraiser in March 2024. Stay tuned for more details!