The generosity of Londoners pushed the Salvation Army's 2017 Kettle Campaign well over its fundraising goal.
A total of $627,404 was raised, surpassing the charity's $550,000 goal.
“We are blown away by the generosity of this city,” said Salvation Army spokesperson Shannon Wise. “It takes a village, and we certainly saw that this past holiday season. We’d like to thank our volunteers, donors and community partners for their compassion and kindness.”
The highest amount donated in the Salvation Army's Ontario Great Lakes Division came from the London kettles.
The money was used to by food and toys for the Christmas hamper program. Throughout this past December, 4,820 food hampers were given out to people in need and 6,536 less fortunate children received a bag of toys for Christmas.