Windsor Spitfires join Windsor Goodfellows for 110th annual newspaper fundraiser

The Windsor Spitfires are lending a hand to the Windsor Goodfellows to help raise money for their annual newspaper drive, which kicked off Thursday morning.

Players with the team were volunteering their time at the corners of Howard Avenue and Tecumseh Road East, along with their billet families and other members of the Spitfires organization.

"Anytime we can get out to help it's huge for us and it's huge for the community," said Captain Liam Greentree, who noted this was the second consecutive year the team helped volunteer.

"It's great to get out here," he exclaimed. "I love Christmas. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I think it's really starting to get going here."

"I think it's good that we're out here, giving back to the community. It's important for us to do that," said Forward Ethan Martin. “People are out here looking up to us and we're out here giving back. So it's always a good thing."

This year, the Windsor Goodfellows is celebrating 110 years of newspaper sales with over 600 volunteers on the streets and in local shops across Windsor, Tecumseh and LaSalle.

Windsor Goodfellows co-chair Steve Harrison said it was wonderful to have the team on hand, noting this year's goal of $375,000 is the same as last year's target.

"Hopefully we'll get there," Harrison said.

"The needs have gone up, as you probably heard, our costs have gone up 38 per cent. I mean, when everybody goes to the grocery store, you see the costs go up. Our client base has gone up. We're getting people that haven't been to see us for 4 or 5 years now. They need us again. So there's a lot of need out there."

Harrison noted, "$0.95 of every dollar goes back into the community and we have one paid part time employee. The rest are volunteer. So that's quite an organization."

Last month, officials said demand for Windsor Goodfellows programs, including the foodbank, had increased by an unheard of 51 per cent over the last year, forcing cutbacks to several programs that the annual newspaper drive help fund.

Officials said the Spits also gave every old newsboy volunteer two free tickets to an upcoming game on Dec. 12.

Earlier this month, the Essex Region Goodfellows presented $20,000 to each of their four local food banks after raising $80,000 during this year's newspaper drive.

Meantime, the Chatham Goodfellows are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, while trying to ensure there is No Child Without a Christmas.

"The porch light (campaign) is one of our main events," said Chatham Goodfellow Tim Haskell. "We do this every year. We have two main events one is our porch light one is our street sales."

"It's beautiful to be around that long to help so many people over the years," Haskell stated. "We'll have a big red apron on. It'll have a clear sticker that says Chatham Goodfellows on it. That way you know that it's us coming to your door and not someone just coming to your door to collect money on their own."

Volunteers in Chatham are preparing for the annual Porchlight Campaign which takes place December 2, ahead of street sales in Chatham which happen on Dec. 13 and 14.