A partnership between the Nova Scotia Jeep Club, the United Way of Pictou County and Atlantic Dodge is bringing jeep-loads of toys to children this year.
Two Jeeps to be exact.
“Our goal was to be able to stuff them, and we were definitely able to accomplish what we wanted to,” said Kevin Boutilier, president of the North Nova Chapter of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club, an organization for Jeep enthusiasts.
As a club, they meet once every week, and Christmas was already on their mind by the the end of October.
“We were brainstorming one night and we thought, ‘let’s do something for Christmas,” said Boutilier with the product of that idea turned into action on the showroom floor of Atlantic Dodge behind him.
The white 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited decked out with bright and colorful images is hard to miss even when it’s not filled to bursting with the toys that the group has collected. In fact, readers might have seen the festive four-door vehicle on the roads, at the Museum of Industry, or even on the ice with Weeks Jr. A Crushers.
“We had some of their payers come out and help us collect,” he said.
Shortly after that fall meeting the club reached out to Atlantic Dodge and the United Way. After Saturday all of the toys will be taken to the United Way office. Local non-profits that work with children and youth will then be invited over to the office to shop for their clients.
“Then the clients can go back to the agencies that they’re comfortable with,” said Jessica Smith, Executive Director with United Way of Pictou County.
“We would love to thank the Jeep Club for this opportunity to support the community,” she said. “There are deadlines for other charities, so this is kind of like a second chance for a lot of folks to give.”
