ESTEVAN - The Estevan Kinette Club is once again hoping the community will get behind it for the annual PJ Project.
Committee chairwoman Kristol Nagy said the club will kick off the community initiatives at the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins home game on Nov. 22. People can drop off their donations or they can sponsor a pair of pyjamas.
The PJ Project works closely with the Community Hamper Association and its Angel Tree program. A hamper recipient with at least one child can select a toy for each youngster through the Angel Tree's Toy Store that will be set up before Christmas. They also get to select a pair of pyjamas.
"It's one more item that they can enjoy in their Christmas gifts. We kind of went with the concept that everybody should have a new pair of Christmas pyjamas to enjoy over the holidays, so we just wanted to make sure that we can collect them and hand them out to those that maybe wouldn't be able to be involved in a tradition like that," said Nagy.
Last year the PJ Project received roughly 800 pairs of pyjamas to distribute, so each child received two outfits. But they still had to use some funds to have enough PJs for all sizes and all groups. Most years they hand out just one set for each child.
Nagy said drop-off points will be set up in the community so that the public can donate to the PJ project. People have been asking if the Kinettes are still running the program this year. The Bruin game will be a good reminder to the public that the project is continuing.
"We usually have good success in that people are very excited to come see us and bring their donations to us. We usually bring a table filled with pyjamas for both boys and girls, and they like to come look at them and sponsor a pair at that event."
Since the Kinettes handed out two pairs of pyjamas to each recipient, they didn't carry over much inventory to this year.
The PJ Project has been happening in the community for roughly a decade. Nagy said they always get a lot of support from the community, and this is a concept that people seem to connect with.
"It might be something relatable to a tradition in their own home, and they get very excited to get themselves into donating, along with their children or grandchildren. It seems to be something that the community … has been really drawn to, ever since we started it," Nagy said.
