There were some special visitors at the Prince Albert Walmart on Saturday in support of the Salvation Army.
Donkeys ‘Panda’ and ‘Carbon’, along with their handler Jen Leier, were available for petting and pictures in front of the store to help support the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign as it enters the home stretch before Christmas.
The yearly visit is a partnership between St. Alban’s Cathedral, Leier, and the Salvation Army.
Anne Barlow, who organizes the St. Albans portion of the event, said Carbon was only six months old, and Panda was a veteran who was also pregnant but still loved to be out.
“This is his (Carbon’s) first time,” Barlow said. “It’s a big difference being on the farm versus being in front of the doors at Walmart, and he is handling things actually pretty well. He gets a little excited sometimes when lots of carts go rumbling by or things like that, but overall, he’s doing well.”
If the excitement got to be too much for Carbon he could go and relax in a trailer. Panda was ever the veteran.
“Panda just doesn’t mind this at all,” Barlow said. “She just thinks that people coming by and petting her and taking pictures is just fine. She loves the treats.”
Saturday was the only day that the donkeys were available because of Leier’s schedule. Barlow said it was important to have her take part.
“We got in touch with one another and said, ‘hey, you want to do this?’ Jen was enthusiastic. (She said,) ‘well yes I love to do this I look forward to this every year.’”
The donkeys were a popular attraction on what was already a busy Saturday morning at the Walmart. Barlow said the attraction has always been popular, while also helping boost the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign’s profile.
“We have had a lot of generous donations to the kettle campaign,” Barlow said. “A few people stopped by to say this is the one time of the year that they look forward to. It’s all good and we do really like to support the campaign. We feel strongly that this is important.”
The donkeys come in from north of Prince Albert and someone coordinates with the Salvation Army and St. Alban’s to figure out the date and times.
The volunteers from St. Alban’s included Barlow’s daughter Roslyn.
“She’s done this every year since we started. I have no idea how many years we’ve been doing this now, but it’s something we all feel is really positive for the community and it seems well received,” Barlow said.
To help ease the transition from the farm to the city, the Walmart donated some sawdust for the donkeys because it was slippery on Saturday morning. The weather was perfect, Barlow said, although in the past they’ve come out even in extreme conditions. Some years the donkeys paid a visit when it was -30 C, although Barlow said that’s about as low as they would go.
“I am glad it’s not (that cold) today because. I don’t think we could do this at -37. Then definitely people wouldn’t be stopping at a donkey at -37 either,” she said.
Saturday’s gathering was located under a protected overhang, which provided the donkey’s with space and cover.
Barlow said almost all their interactions are positive.
“There is lots of people coming in the store and they just want to make sure that we’re doing this in a safe way and it works for keeping the animals happy,” she explained.
“It’s something we feel has been really positively received and lots of people really enjoy It. We had a ton of kids this morning.”
The yearly project is a team effort, according to Barlow.
“It takes a lot of different people to make this happen and sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. Every year we look at it and say ‘how can we do it better next year?’ I think there’s a couple of minor changes we’ll make next year just to make it not quite so stressful for the people involved (who are) trying to get things to be here on time,” she said.
Barlow said that St. Alban’s likes to support the community and this was just another way to do it.
“I think this is a great way for the Cathedral volunteers to come out and do what they like to do, which is to help people and to help our communities,” she said. “We think the Salvation Army is a great charity to support with what they are doing in the community, and if you can help in a small way, we’re really happy to do that.”
Barlow also credited Leier for helping make the event a success.
“Jen’s been so generous with her time and making sure that the animals are decked out and ready to go. They have a great life with her and this is the one thing that these donkeys do every year,” Barlow said.
She said the most important part was supporting the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign because the organization does great things.
“There are a lot of people who are in need and they work so hard to try and make sure that they’re filling in the gaps, so we really appreciate the people that have come out and support the campaign,” Barlow said.
She encouraged people to give however they can to the campaign either online or in person.
“If they have questions, they can always contact the Salvation Army and they’ll be able to answer some questions.
