Linda Butler of Port Dover annually organizes an initiative to pack shoeboxes with presents and send them to Canadian soldiers overseas. She submitted the following letter to Port Dover Maple Leaf to thank those who supported the project this year.

EVERY year we send Christmas shoeboxes overseas to our Canadian soldiers who cannot be home for Christmas. This is our seventh year, and we are sending 203 shoe boxes. Last year we sent 160.

As I was collecting addresses from families of soldiers overseas, I had a few wives and moms ask if we could send their son/spouse a box because two years ago their siblings were over and received our boxes, and it made their days. It warms your heart hearing this.

This year, we tried to personalize the boxes, so I had the family members send a surprise note to me, and my husband typed it up and made it Christmassy to sneak in the boxes. I also had them send me their son or daughter’s favourite treat to add to their box. I now know next year to buy 200 packs of jerky and peanut butter cups, which were top of their lists.

Thanks to the principal at St. Cecilia’s School. Sue Defreyne and her students festively wrapped our boxes, collected donations and drew pictures. Embers from the Girl Guides decorated boxes for us, too.

Thanks to Jason Dale at Simcoe Composite School and his students, they collected boxes of donations for us and wrote postcards to send. Their Students’ Council even gave up their Halloween dance to have a haunted house activity day, and the admission raised for it was so generously donated to our boxes.

So many other schools donated artwork and letters from all over, including St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Niagara, Hagersville Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, and Rainham Central School.

I want to thank our many crocheters who made cute Christmas decorations and warm knitted hats: Marilyn, Carrie, Wendy, Marg, Kimberly and her knitting group.

I also want to thank our local businesses and organizations and our whole community for all their kindness and donations for our Christmas boxes:

Port Dover Legion, Port Dover Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Delhi Legion, Delhi Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Port Dover Service Centre, Hauser’s Dover Apothecary, Roulston’s Pharmacy of Port Dover, Tim Hortons of Port Dover, On The Fringe, Picard’s Peanuts in Simcoe, Picard’s Foods in Waterford, Malo Family Dentistry, Dentistry on Norfolk South, Port Dover Masonic Hall for the use of their hall on Donation Drop-Off Day, Military Family Resource Centre in Hamilton and Port Dover Maple Leaf.

Finally, I want to thank all my friends and family who spent countless hours helping wrap the little gifts, removing tags, writing out never-ending Christmas cards and being such a big support to me.

If I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m truly sorry, I didn’t mean to.

If it weren’t for our wonderful community and all the kindness and generosity of everyone, our boxes wouldn’t be what they are. It takes a community of friends and family to make this a success, and I’m grateful to everyone.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Linda Butler
Port Dover

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Originally published December 18, 2024