Sudbury Food Bank raises $15,000 through new Christmas tree campaign

It was like a scene out of “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation”. The massive tree was decked out with 3,000 lights. A crowd counted down to zero for that magical, and very bright moment, when they would all light up the night sky, and then, nothing.

Dan Xilon, the family patriarch in this instance, briefly left the scene to make sure all the necessary wires and cables were where they needed to be.

He must have figured out what was amiss, because when he returned the large Christmas tree outside the Sudbury Food Bank's
warehouse on Webbwood Drive would have been visible from space.

Each of the 3,000 lights on the tree raised $5 for the Sudbury Food Bank's inaugural Light Up the Spirit of Giving’ Christmas Tree campaign.

“It was a really unique fundraiser,” said Xilon, the food bank's executive director. One of their volunteers suggested the idea and they ran with it.

Xilon said people were encouraged to buy Christmas lights to represent good memories from the past year. Some people, he said, bought a light for each year of their marriage.

“My four lights were for my four grandkids, who are the light of my life. No pun intended,” Xilon said.

Greg Fontaine, the Sudbury Food Bank's president, said each cent from the $15,000 raised through the campaign will go directly to food for those in need.

“There's always a need, and the need happens year-round,” Fontaine said. “But I think what happens this time of year is that people get wrapped up in Christmas and start to think a little bit more about family. They realize how fortunate they are.”

Fontaine said the food drives this time of year help support the Sudbury Food Bank year-round.