‘It’s wonderful’: Chatham brothers keep collecting empties for a cause
Brett and Derek Gore have been collecting empty beer cans and liquor bottles for over a decade and a half to buy toys to donate to children without gifts during the holiday season.
Their family says on any given day they could find a bag of empties in the driveway, not knowing who dropped them off.
“It's gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and it's great,” said dad, Bob Gore.
“It’s just people's kindness. You know, it's just the positivity and giving back and we've tried to always instill in the boys people need help.”
He said it all started when the brothers were teenagers at The Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent, delivering no more than ten gifts.
In 2021, they donated $8,174 worth of toys to the Salvation Army Chatham-Kent, nearly $3,000 more than the year before.
Brothers Brett and Derek Gore at their home in Chatham, Ont. on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) “Last year was incredible,” Gore said. “But I think COVID had something to do with that people couldn't leave their home so maybe instead of a beer they had two or three or I don't know but it was crazy.”
Gore continued, “with our neighbours, friends, people throughout the county, Windsor, London, Port Lambton, Sarnia, Wallaceburg, people calling dropping things off, it's just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and without their support this would really never have happened. But it's wonderful.”
Mom, Linda Gore, told CTV News the family never sets a goal other than to bring cheer to those finding it difficult during the holidays.
“People will message the boys and say ‘can you come pick up empties?’” she said. “So off they truck!”
“Some people even count the cans for us and they put little tags on and say you know there's 100 bottles in this or 100 cans. This is awesome. Thank you so much people, really.”
The Gores explained the toy collection often outgrows the crawlspace in their home before they’re able to deliver them, saying they now use a storage space offered by Community Living Chatham-Kent.
Anyone looking to help with the cause can drop empties off in their south Chatham driveway at 155 Copperfield Crescent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.