When it came time to open their wallets for those in need this holiday season, Londoners answered the call.
The Salvation Army says it raised a record amount of money in its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign. It says a total of $648,173 was raised in London. The goal for the 2016 campaign was $500,000.
The Salvation Army also says $10,815 in donations came in online at FillTheKettle.com. That figure also represents a record for the London campaign.
"We are blown away by the generosity of Londoners,” says Shannon Wise, the public relations and development representative for the Ontario Great Lakes Division. “We want to sincerely thank our donors and our volunteers for their kindness and dedication.”
According to the Salvation Army, its Hamper Program was able to provide food hampers to 5,117 local families and 6,663 children received a bag of toys.