The Salvation Army in Rutland is celebrating 100 years of Christmas kettles and much more in the Central Okanagan, with a weekend of events.
On May 31 the anniversary weekend will kick off with a banquet at the Kelowna Community Church. The guest speaker for the ticketed event, which costs $25, will be Major Amy Reardon from Seattle, Washington. The event starts at 5 p.m. and tickets should be purchased from the church office before May 17.
On June 1, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the weekend will continue with a free community carnival at Stuart Park. There will be bouncy castles, games, food and refreshments, and live entertainment. To volunteer for the free carnival contact the volunteer coordinator at 250-860-2329 ext. 333 or email volunteer@kelsa.ca.
READ MORE: Salvation Army Central Okanagan brings back Sharing Christmas
On June 2, the weekend events will conclude with a celebration service at the community church. Reardon will speak again and she will be accompanied by a gospel brass brand.
Music has long created fellowship opportunities for the Army, the organization wrote in an April 3 Facebook post. The post is one of several that the organization has shared on social media leading up to their anniversary events, and included an archival photo of the Kelowna String Band of 1922/23.
Other archival posts have shared photos of the Army’s first church in the Central Okanagan, circa 1919, their presence at the 1985 Regatta Parade, youth gathered at vacation bible school in the ’90s, and a photo from March 10, 2010, when the Army opened its Rutland location.
“That’s when we opened the Community Life Centre (CLC), Kitchen & Thrift Store in the old bowling alley on Rutland Road,” the post reads. “Major Ron Cartmell was excited at the prospect of serving the community and the CLC has become a vital part of our faith and service over the years.”
karissa.gall@blackpress.ca
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