14th Anniversary of our Cuts for Christmas Project – December 2024

Link below with some more pictures and explanation of the project:

December to Remember – Sponsors and Donors

Check out this video to see what this is all about and how it is a December to Remember for almost 300 kids each year.

This project has 4 phases: 

First – Fundraiser – This event raises the funds for the students’ transportation to and from the salon and the contents of the gift bags.

Second – December – The grade six students are picked up by bus from Norwood school and taken to Beaners Fun Cuts (#140 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park). Once there, they receive a complimentary haircut and style, participate in arts and crafts, enjoy a pizza lunch & other delicious treats. Each student also has a professional portrait taken during their salon visit.

Many of these students have never had their hair cut in a salon and look forward to it all year.  These students leave the salon feeling full of confidence!

Third – The Kinette Club volunteers get together over 2 days to organize and assemble the contents of the gift bags. Each student (275+) receives a large gift bag containing a wrapped age appropriate gift, new pyjamas, socks, a hat, mitts, a stuffed animal, books, and stocking stuffers that include candy, toiletries, granola bars, snacks, and toothbrushes/toothpaste.   The gift bags are then put into huge sacks and are ready for delivery.

Four – DELIVERY DAY! This day the gifts are delivered and the children receive their gifts from us. Phase four is our favorite and certainly the highlight for us.  Presenting each gift and watching the joy on their faces as they open everything is an experience every one of our Kinettes treasures.

Highlights of Previous Projects

National Day of KINdness 

Feed the Hungry on National Day of KINdness – the three local clubs (Edmonton Kinetttes, Edmonton Kinsmen, and Kin Club of Ft Edmonton) joined forces to make 600 bagged lunches to hand out to the less fortunate in the city.  Each bag contained a ham and cheese sandwich, granola bar, apple or orange, and juice box.

We are starting our annual project “Cuts for Kids”!  The children of Norwood Elementary School, in Edmonton’s inner city, benefit from this project.   Click here to see a video about the project:  Cuts for Kids 2015

On Monday, 5 December, the grade 6 children are going to Beaner’s Fun Cuts for Kids in Sherwood Park to get their hair done!  Some of these kids have never been to a salon before and they leave with great big smiles!  While waiting their turns, there are crafts and games, plenty of snacks, and a pizza lunch!

On Sunday, 11 December, our Kinette members are getting together to wrap tons of presents for these kids!

On Monday, 19 December, our Kinette members hand deliver presents and packages to each and every child at the school.  They all receive a new age-appropriate toy, new pyjamas/socks/mitts/hat, books, stuffed animal, and tons of goodies and snacks.

 Purse Project for Terra Centre and YESS  After a lot of shopping the Edmonton Kinettes filled purses and shaving kit bags for the youth at Youth Empowerment & Support Services and young parents at the Terra Centre.  Contents included: brush/comb and mirror, deodorant, toothbrushes, shave gel, hair product, shampoo, lotion, tweezers, lip balm, nail polish, snacks, and more.

National Day of KINdness  Our Kinettes put together soup and sandwiches to hand out to the homeless in downtown Edmonton.

Stollery Children’s Hospital  Our very own Kin Kids held a fundraiser earlier this year and then presented $250 to the Stollery to go towards pet therapy for children awaiting surgery.  They also gave new stuffed animals for the patients.

Edmonton Food Bank  Twice this month groups of Edmonton Kinettes helped at the Food Bank.  We put hampers together and also presented a $2000 cheque to the organization.  The Edmonton Food Bank supplied more than 19,000 hampers in December, which is 5,000 more than usual.

Operation Friendship Senior’s Society  The week before Christmas our fellow Club, the Edmonton Kinsmen, sponsored a lunch for the seniors at the McCauley Centre and we also went to help serve the meal.  The Kinettes also provide goody bags to everyone, with special Christmas treats!

Cuts For Kids  We support the students of Norwood Elementary School in Edmonton’s inner city.  This project has taken place for more than ten years, with the Kinette Club of Edmonton adopting it in 2010.                        

 Phase 1:  The grade 6 students spend a morning at Beaner’s Cuts for Kids in Sherwood Park getting their hair cut and styled, which is a rare occurrence for the majority of them.  While they wait their turn they get to do crafts and a pizza lunch with other treats are also provided.  Before heading back to school, a professional portrait is taken.  They all leave the salon full of new confidence!                                                                                                            
Phase 2:  Christmas packages!  This is a highlight for all of the Kinettes as we get to present ALL 275 students in the school with gifts for Christmas.  Each child receives new pyjamas, socks, hat and mitts (all wrapped together), an age-appropriate new toy (also wrapped), and a large gift bag containing stuffed animals, books, and stocking stuffers that include candy, toiletries, granola bars and other snacks, and toothbrushes/toothpaste.  Watching the excitement and joy as they open these presents is an experience every one of our Kinette members treasure.

Santa’s Anonymous  A bunch of the Kinettes went to Santa’s Anonymous for an evening to help put together toy parcels for needy children in the city.

Canadian Blood Services This month we have challenged the Edmonton Kinsmen to see which club can get the most donors!  Kin Canada is a National Partner for Life with Canadian Blood Services.