Guignolée in Vankleek Hill

 

Hundreds of canned goods, pickle jars, boxes of pasta and other non-perishable items were gathered on December 10 during Vankleek Hill’s annual guignolée.

 

The donations were gathered from door to door by volunteers, who travelled alongside fire trucks and rang doorbells.

Donations were sorted in the basement of the Lions Club and will be distributed to families who made a request for assistance during the holiday season.

Local scouts, members of the Optimists Club and minor hockey players also participated in the gathering and sorting.

 

Firefighter Tom Conway said he’d been participating for eight years. He wore his firefighters and a Santa hat while helping children go around Vankleek Hill.

Eric Berry, who is president of the Vankleek Hill District Lions Club, said the guignolée was an important tradition.

“I enjoy this, and it gives food to the people who need it. That’s what the Lions are for,” he said.

Rev. James Douglas of Knox Presbyterian in Vankleek Hill said the donations would be well appreciated by the local food bank.

Irene Howes of the Vankleek Hill food bank said she had been part of the guignolée for about 15 years.

She said the food would be distributed December 20 to local families who had requested some help during the holiday season.

“The food bank will probably be gaining a few clients this year, because of the layoffs,” she said.

She added that local schools held their own food drives, which added significantly to this year’s total.

“We usually get a lot of food. They’re very generous in Vankleek Hill,” she said.