'I don't feel it's Christmas without this:' Market show raises $44K for Harbour Lights

Hot breakfast, good cheer, and live music with a side of washboard were served up Friday morning, along with more than $44,000 in donations at Information Morning Saint John's Christmas at the City Market show in support of the Harbour Lights Campaign.

The annual Christmas show raising money for food banks in southwestern New Brunswickbrought the total so far this year to more than $141,000, with about a week left to go in the campaign.

Listeners began lining up before dawn for first dibs on the highly coveted Harbour Lights mugs, handcrafted by David Eastwood of Clay Design Inc. in Central Hampstead.

Linda Jarvis has been one of the diehardsat the front of the line for five years running.

"I love all of them, and they're all in my china cabinet," said Jarvis, who also brought in a $500 donation from the Saint John Kiwanis Club.

She joined more than 500 people for $5 breakfasts served by Mayor Don Darling and members of council.

Live entertainment was provided by the Anglophone School District South Strings Program, Saint John's Sadie Donahue, and Grand Bay-Westfield's folk duo Tomato/Tomato, who are in the middle of a Maritime Christmas tour.

And CBC reporter and Gas Guru Robert Jones brought the laughs with his predictions for the coming year.

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"It always makes me feel like Christmas, coming here, seeing the crowd grow, watching the mug sales," said Paula Copeland, a spokesperson for Port Saint John. "I don't feel like it's Christmas without this."

David McCready of theSaint John Community Food Basket said the Harbour Lights campaign is more than just a nice initiative put on by CBCand Port Saint John.

"This is essential to our operation if not for Harbour Lights we probably wouldn't be able to operate," said McCready.

"It's overwhelming in the amount that is raised."

McCready said about 70 per cent of his organization's budget for 2017 came from Harbour Lights.

"And that can be said for a number of food banks in the area," he said.

Greg Doucet of the New Brunswick Food Bank Association said the donations come at a critical time of year.

"We're seeing an increase in the working poor, people who work minimum wage, who are trying to make ends meet and need extra help when the heat comes on," Doucetsaid.

"In the winter, hydro bills get more expensive and people need help. They come, they don't abuse it. It's a big challenge to humble yourself to come to the food bank and say, 'I need help.' We don't say we need help easily."

6 days to light star

The Harbour Lights campaign raises money for food banks from St. Stephento Saint John and Sussex.

Each year, Port Saint John installs a giant, 30-metre tall Christmas tree made of hundreds of twinkling lights near the Saint John Harbour.

Each $2 donation lights a bulb. And as December progresses, bulb by bulb the tree is lit.

This year, it only took six days to reach the campaign goal of $50,000, and the star has been shining ever since.