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Oak Bay scouts top $6,200 with post-holiday bottle drive

Annual fundraiser covers 90 routes in Oak Bay
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Scouts Jacob and Joshua Cunliffe with friend Rhys White during the 5th Garry Oak Scouts annual post-holiday bottle drive on Saturday. (5th Garry Oak Scouts photo)

In spite of Saturday’s big rainstorm, it was another successful bottle drive for the 5th Garry Oak Scouts, who raised $6,200.

The group is pleased to have hit their goal of topping $6,000, said parent Annmarie Scanlan.

The drive is a well-coordinated event with more than 100 Scouters and their families volunteering to collect bottles on more than 90 routes in north and south Oak Bay.

READ MORE: Garry Oak Scouts bank on 10 cent boost for upcoming Oak Bay bottle drive

“The success of this event depends not only on local residents who put aside their empties for us but also the extended scouting community,” Scanlan said. “Current Scouts and their families are essential to this effort, and we also had former Scouts and leaders show up to help out [as well as] local police and firefighters help promote the drive on social media.”

Save-On-Foods added a little flavour to the day by donating doughnuts.

Bottles were delivered to the Scout Hall where more volunteers sorted, counted, and eventually filled three trucks for the Return-It Depot.

READ ALSO: Trio of Oak Bay Scouts take on project to replace Bowker invasive plants with natives

“Thanks to local residents and a large group of volunteers, and despite the wild weather (which involved wind, pounding rain, and even a rainbow), the 2020 event was the most successful to date,” Scanlan said.

The bottle drive is the primary fundraiser of the year for the local chapter and all the proceeds stay to support the local scouts, aged five to 17.

Scanlan noted that during the sorting, volunteers often uncover additional finds.

From this year’s weird file, volunteers unpacked a bag of used batteries, the bottom of a blender, and … a half-eaten fruit cake.

reporter@oakbaynews.com


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