Larry Dewey is retired, but he keeps busy volunteering for various organizations and sits on multiple executive boards. A few years ago, a friend invited him to attend a fellowship breakfast at the Salvation Army church in Fort McMurray, Alta. That was when his relationship with the Army began.

“They’re an awesome group. It’s not only in Fort McMurray; it’s throughout the world that The Salvation Army has a good reputation,” Larry says.

Toques and Treatments

Beginning in January 2020, Larry and his wife spent several months in Edmonton as he underwent 39 radiation treatments. For every session, his wife would knit a toque. It was a conversation starter but, more importantly, a distraction. By the end of the treatments, she’d made 42 toques and donated every one of them to the Army in Edmonton.

Larry takes pride in volunteering at the kettles as he dons his Legion uniform and rings the bell at his local grocery store.

The connection to his community is what keeps him volunteering each year. As a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, he wants folks to know that the Legion is supportive of The Salvation Army’s work.

“They do a lot. I’ve got to pay it back,” Larry says.

The hours put in by the volunteers during the Army’s Christmas kettle campaign make it possible for programs and services to run all year round. The money raised goes back into the community to help fight poverty, homelessness and hunger.

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