Salvation Army volunteers sorted through hundreds of red bags filled with food hamper donations at the Greentree Mall on Thursday, Nov. 30. Other volunteers traveled around to the locations of Nacmine, Bankview, Midland, North Drumheller, Downtown, Greentree, Morrin, Munson, and Rosedale to collect the food items. Donations will be accepted throughout the holiday season. Scroll through the gallery for a better look into the food drive.

Mailphotos by Terri Huxley

Celest Schrock, St. Anthony's school teacher, puts her first red bag in the back of a car. 15 students and faculty helped with the food drive.

JoAnne Akerboom, Donovan Snider, and Celest Schrock sit in the back of a vehicle filled with bags of food donations.

Lisa Delaforest helps the food drive by stacking and organizing food items into the appropriate carton. 

Lucian De Silva helps rip through and sort food donations at one of the stations. 

    One of the community’s favourite Christmas traditions is back for its 24th year.
    On December 7, student volunteers at DVSS will be swinging the school’s doors wide open for the annual Senior’s Christmas Dinner.
    Each year the student body hosts hundreds of seniors from the community for a traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixings and top notch-entertainment performed by students.
    DVSS principal Curtis LaPierre says they expect about 400 to attend the event and will be serving a traditional sit down service with salad, main course, and traditional sticky pudding.
    “What does change every year are the students, and this year I have what I call the Foods United Nations class,” he said. “I have students from Taiwan and Hong Kong, Korea, Spain, Dubai, Mexico, and of course Canada. So I was thinking I would have the students wish the seniors Merry Christmas in their own languages.”
    He adds that while the seniors value the event, the students are also motivated to do the best they can and put on a great dinner, and also make connections with seniors in the community.
    “They are excited and at the end of the day they go that was fun!’” he said. “They put in their time and effort, and that is the connection they want to make, it reaches through generations.”
    The annual dinner is on Thursday, December 7 at DVSS gymnasium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the seniors are greeted by students and escorted to their seats.         Entertainment begins at about noon and dinner is served at 12:30 p.m.
 Since it is such a popular event, reservations are recommended. Contact seniors services coordinator Rose Poulson at 403-823-1317, or email the names of those attending to rpoulson@dinosaurvalley.com