HUMBOLDT — The annual Humboldt tradition of the St. Elizabeth's Ladies Auxiliary chocolate almond fundraiser isn’t cancelled because of the pandemic, but it has changed.
Rather than going door-to-door like in previous years, the St. Elizabeth’s Ladies Auxiliary have teamed up with the Humboldt Co-op Food Store and Humboldt Sobeys to sell the chocolate almonds at their locations.
All funds raised will go to the purchase of cardiac equipment at the Humboldt District Hospital.
“Our thought was to order fewer cases, but to see if the grocery stores would be willing to help out because some stores were selling the Girl Guide cookies,” said Chris Bunko, auxiliary president, and a retired rural lab manager for the Saskatoon Health Region.
“The money you’re allotted for your budgets does not include money for equipment. So the hospital foundation is always looking to raise money for that equipment.”
As a result, the auxiliary makes an annual pledge of $10,000 to the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation
Bunko said they had questioned if they would be able to keep the commitment this year amid COVID-19 due to the impact on their annual raffle, and the lack of being able to safely go door-to-door.
“With the raffle, our auxiliary members bought their raffle tickets, so we made about half of what they normally do,” she said.
“With the chocolate sales, because we’re not going door-to-door, and I ordered fewer chocolates, we’re thinking we’ll make two-thirds of what we usually do – but it will be enough that with what money we have in the bank we will be able to make our commitment this year, and probably next year.”
Bunko said the hope is to get back to safely fundraising door-to-door after next year.
“Hopefully after that COVID is over and done with, and we can get back to fundraising like we usually do.”
