Year after year, the same people -- often seniors -- come into Barclay's Fine Custom Jewellers on Oak Bay Avenue to donate to the sa国际传媒 Christmas Fund.
"They make a point of it," says Christine Beattie, who owns the store with husband Geoffrey.
Barclay's has been a drop location for the Christmas Fund for more than 20 years.
When the Beatties bought the business in 1999, they carried on the tradition. "It was already existing and we were happy to do it. We have always been community-minded," Christine Beattie said.
Like Barclay's, many of the 30 drop locations in Greater Victoria have been drop spots for several years.
Last year, they collected almost $26,500, a significant portion of the $253,000 raised.
The fund, which collects donations to provide gift certificates for food and presents to local citizens in need, helped more than 2,300 households last year.
Donors at drop locations can fill out a form for a tax receipt, which also goes to anyone who writes a cheque to the fund, said sa国际传媒 promotions manager Kathy Baan.
People's Drug Mart at 1594 Fairfield Rd. is another longtime drop location.
"We have been involved for many years," said Bev Turta at the business in the Fairfield Plaza. As at Barclay's, "We see a lot of the same people every year."
Many customers are seniors who live in the area, she said.
At Pharmasave Millstream Village in Langford, the clear plastic Christmas Fund donation box is located in the pharmacy, said head cashier Dorothy Onischuk.
"We do it because we hope to help some families. That's the reason the box is there," she said. "We try to give back to the community."
Satnam Lalli is part owner of that Pharmasave, which opened in the fall of 2007, and also Broadmead Pharmasave, which has been a drop location for more than 20 years.
"It's one of the ways to give back to the community," he said. "We are all independently owned Pharmasave stores. We live in the community and we work in the community."
