By Rob James
Special to the Record
The 40th anniversary of the Earl Naswell Community Christmas Dinner was a huge success this year due to the overwhelming support received from the Comox Valley.
Corporate sponsors generously showed their commitment to the event with several new businesses offering their support this year to help get it all put together. Many individuals also contributed donations to this big anniversary event, allowing organizers to provide the most Christmas cheer to Comox Valley residents ever.
The 2022 dinner was again a delivery-only event, providing more than 700 Christmas dinner packages to residents in their homes. More than 100 volunteers worked in the Filberg Centre for several days to prepare and cook the meal, package desserts and goody bags, getting everything ready to start rolling out the dinners to the waiting drivers. Everything went quite smoothly with the amazing kitchen crew putting the finishing touches on the 725th dinner in less than two hours.
First out of the doors of the Filberg hall at noon on Christmas Day, several truckloads of dinners, special goody bags, baked goods, drinks, and gift cards were delivered to the Connect Warming Centre. Forty other drivers delivered armloads of the decorated bags to residents from Black Creek to Union Bay, thankful for the wet but otherwise much better driving conditions than last year!
As the organizers wrap things up on this hugely successful event, plans are now being made for 2023’s event, looking to the future to ensure Mr. Earl Naswell’s tradition will live on.
Several volunteers who have spent many of their own Christmas days over the years helping at the event are now working together to establish the Earl Naswell Community Christmas Society. The good news is Comox Valley residents may see a hybrid event this year; serving a Christmas dinner in the Filberg Centre to seated guests, while keeping some deliveries available to those who cannot make it down to the hall.
A very big thank you to each sponsor, donor and volunteer that contributed to the success of the 40th anniversary event.
Rob James is the co-ordinator for the Earl Naswell Community Christmas Dinner
