BANFF – In these troubled times the spirit of giving in the Bow Valley remains strong.
Stories of kindness, generosity and sense of community have been especially uplifting this holiday season, given the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19.
A perfect example of this show of character was the Free Christmas Day Pancake Breakfast organized by Amber Donald. In its third year, participation more than doubled, even though people couldn’t all be together in person to enjoy good company and a hearty meal.
Looking back on how the pancake breakfast started in 2018, Donald could never have imagined what it would have turned into in such a short time.
“I lived in the Bow Valley for almost 14 years and like so many people I have always had more than one, and sometimes three or four, jobs,” Donald said in an email, “and usually I always had to work over Christmas.”
In 2018, Donald’s family went home to B.C. to spend time with relatives, and the idea of a pancake breakfast was a suggestion from a friend as a way to get a group of people together during what little free time she had.
“I automatically just thought, ‘why can't we do this for more people?’” Donald said. “I know what it is like to be without friends and family, and at the holiday season that's a time when everyone needs it the most.”
Donald initially planned to rent a space and see how things went, but when the Town of Banff found out what the rental was for, it waved the fee. Encouraged by the generosity, Donald approached a few businesses about donating small gifts to be used as door prizes.
“That’s when offers for food donations came in,” Donald said, “and I realized this could be much larger than I anticipated.”
Approximately 175 people took part in the festivities in the first two years, but the ongoing pandemic created a serious obstacle to what had become a popular event.
“I was reluctant to move forward this year, as I felt I was at a standstill,” Donald said. “Each idea I had got kind of blocked by obstacles. Then I actually got inspiration from the company I work for when they handed out ‘hampers.’”
The do-it-yourself Christmas breakfast care package was born, but another of the obstacles for a re-imagined pancake party for a couple of hundred people was how to get the meals out while adhering to all mandated safety protocols. That’s when the Bow Valley isolation support group, Three Communities: One Valley stepped up and offered to help with deliveries.
“I would personally pack all the bags and sort them into sections,” Donald said, “then a delivery driver would come pick up that group. We were able to reach Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Exshaw.”
The care packages were more than just the ingredients for pancakes, fruit, sausages, granola bars, and yogurt, along with Christmas treats, were also included. In the end 411 people shared in the collective good will.
“We didn’t want to say no to anyone, so we didn’t make a deadline for ordering,” Donald said. “I was receiving phone calls, texts, emails and even Facebook messages up until, and on the day we were distributing as well.
“My husband was excellent at being our runner, and because our numbers kept growing we had to continuously go to the grocery store when we would run out of product.”
In addition to family and a few close friends, Donald got a lot of help this year from The Banff Lodging Company, the Caribou Cares program, Coast Canmore Hotel and Conference Centre, the Spirit of Christmas store in Banff, Banff IGA, as well as from a generous anonymous donor.
“My family and I have always put our own money into this as well, but we are so thankful for the wonderful support from the community. This would not have been the success it was without them,” Donald said.
