A last-minute fund-raising push before Christmas, led by an influx of volunteers, helped the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Campaign come within a few thousand dollars of its $60,000 goal this season.

The annual campaign, where volunteers collect small donations in “kettles” at shops and other spaces around the city, raised $56,270 this year, Lt. Rebecca Pretty, the Salvation Army officer for the Yukon, said Wednesday.

Only five days before the campaign ended on Dec. 24, the Sally Ann had raised less than half of its $60,000 target, and needed 86 two-hour volunteer shifts filled to help collect donations.

Pretty told the Star she’s grateful for the last-minute volunteers and donations that brought the charitable organization so close to its goal this season.

“It just shows the generosity of the people of Whitehorse,” Pretty said.

“It just goes to show the support that we have here. So we thank the people of Whitehorse a lot for their generosity.”

Although the campaign still came up $3,730 shy of its goal, Pretty said what was raised will go a long way.

She said $25,000 of the funds raised will go to Share the Spirit, an annual Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society campaign that helped offer food and gifts for about 500 families across the Yukon over the holidays.

The rest will support the Salvation Army’s emergency assistance program throughout 2023. The money from the campaign will provide a stable fund for Yukoners who need help this year, be it through vouchers for clothes and food, gas cards or access to basic hygiene supplies.

Pretty said the program could help about 150 Yukon families a month this year.

She chalked up the increase in volunteers and donations at the campaign’s end to a publicity drive by the Salvation Army.

She said through news releases, social media posts and word-of-mouth, the organization got its message out – and Yukoners responded quickly and generously in the final days of the campaign.