Belated Carnival Christmas Presents For Charities
March 2008
During the run up to Christmas 2007, Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee helped raise over £3,000 for local charities by taking a festive themed carnival cart around the supermarkets and streets of Bridgwater.
Bridgwater Rotary Club, SNAP, Bridgwater Lions and Cancer Research UK all received boosts to their fundraising efforts, as local shoppers and residents dug deep into their pockets to show their appreciation at the decorated cart.
At a specially arranged ceremony at JD Wetherspoons’ The Carnival Inn at the end of March, representatives from the carnival committee officially presented the popular charities with their respective cheques.
Mark Robson, collection officer for Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee, said: “For the last ten years we have taken our Christmas cart out onto the streets during December to help raise money for well deserving causes, and once again the response from the Bridgwater public was overwhelming.
“A group of volunteers from the carnival committee helped decorate the cart immediately after Bridgwater Carnival, and once again Father Christmas appeared on the cart and was kept busy talking and handing out sweets to excited young children.”
Accompanying the cart were collectors from the named charities who benefited from the fundraising activities, and Christmas music helped spectators and shoppers get into the festive mood.
Mark continued: “It is so rewarding to do something like this, especially when you see the faces of children light up when they see Father Christmas, and I do hope that everybody involved with the fun enjoyed themselves.
“This is a great way to raise money, and on behalf of Bridgwater Carnival Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee and the charities concerned, I would like to thank everyone at Sainsburys, ASDA and Morrisons for their hospitality, and a special thank you to Kelvin Rainey and Derrick Chappell for their continued help and support.”
