When Gibsons mayor Silas White and a restaurant full of young soccer players counted down for the illumination of the Wendy’s/Tim Horton’s 26th Festival of Lights display in November, loud cheers greeted the burst of color. This year, members of the Sunshine Coast Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA) and their families sold, installed and decorated a record number of trees sponsored by local businesses. Members of the Gibsons Volunteer Fire Department also turned out to help install the rooftop lights, and created some of the large, whimsical outdoor displays as well. “This corner is lit up with the joy that Christmas represents!” enthused restaurant owner Klaus Fuerniss said as he congratulated SCYSA Director Cara Mackenzie and her group on raising $15,050.
“The real heroes are the sponsors of the trees. We have been extremely fortunate in having the support of our community.”
Fuerniss noted that with its best year for sales ever in 2022, the Wendy’s/Tim Horton’s store was able to give back even more to the community. Not all its charitable work is as visible as the Festival of Lights (which is unique to the Gibsons location), or the popular Smile Cookie campaign (for which the Nutcracker Ballet Association leaped into action). Fuerniss noted that the enthusiasm of the “little ballerinas” and their families lifted Gibsons into the number one spot in Canada for funds raised through campaign – the fourth year in a row it achieved that honour. “And that says what Gibsons is all about,”
