Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
The December Project is encouraging residents to get up and give back this month in support of the Jasper Mental Health Crisis Fund.
This fund helps ensure that locals have access to medications and transportation to and from appointments that support their mental well-being.
鈥淭he December Project is a Facebook group designed to get people healthy, happy, active and connected and especially during the month of December鈥攜ou know, the very long, cold, dark days of December,鈥� said lead volunteer Leigh-Anne (Wes) Standing.
鈥淲e want people to get active, and at the same time also, we can do something really great for our community by fundraising for a local charity of our choosing.鈥�
Founded in 2014 by long-time local Joe Urie, the December Project has people staying active in a variety of ways ranging from yoga to cross-country skiing while also having them donate to a local charity.
The project ran for three years before going into hiatus until last year, when Nicole Veerman reached out to Urie about reviving the initiative.
Last year, the December Project raised $21,500 for Santas Anonymous and had more than 400 participants sign up.
Both Urie and Veerman weren鈥檛 able to reprise their roles for 2021, so they handed the reins to Standing.
鈥淚 kind of jumped on board and just put out there that I was looking for volunteers to help out, and so we got a lot of really great feedback, and we actually have 18 volunteers who are going to manage it this year,鈥� Standing said.
鈥淚 know that Joe and Nicole put in a tremendous amount of time, and they set the bar really high, so that鈥檚 why I just reached out for other volunteers to help me, because it鈥檚 just a tremendous amount of work to put into it.鈥�
This year, participants are asked to make a donation of $20 minimum to the Jasper Mental Health Crisis Fund.
Participants chose the cause through an online vote that was posted on the Facebook group.
Donations can be dropped off at Coco鈥檚 Caf茅 or the Other Paw Caf茅.
Participants are also encouraged to work out at least 20 minutes per day and post the photos on the Facebook group in order to inspire others.
鈥淓verybody and anybody are welcome, so if there are people who are outside the community, they are also welcome to join us, and they can just make a donation to a non-profit charity of their own choosing within their own community, or they can also donate online,鈥� Standing said.
On the December Project Facebook group, participants have been posting photos of their daily activities and writing encouraging comments for each other鈥檚 posts.
The project doesn鈥檛 have a set fundraising goal this year, and the number of participants has yet to be determined, but Standing said participants have been eager and finding creative ways to get active this December.
Volunteers also post challenges every odd day of the month for the chance to win prizes.
Standing emphasized how the December Project wouldn鈥檛 have been possible without the support of the volunteer team and local businesses, the solid foundation set up by Urie and Veerman, and the support and participation of community members.
