Buy an apple this weekend and help Sault Ste. Marie’s Scouts

Children and adults involved with Sault Ste. Marie’s Scouts Canada will be on hand at various locations around town giving apples to shoppers in return for donations to Scouts activities this Friday and Saturday.

Scouts Apple Day is an annual fundraiser held every October in the week after Thanksgiving.

“The donations help us with our field trips, equipment that we buy and fun activities that we do with the kids,” said Scouts leader Catherine O’Donnell at a weekly Scouts gathering in the basement of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church on Cathcart Street on Tuesday.

Scouts were photographed enjoying apples Tuesday, but there are up to 20 bushels available for Friday and Saturday. 

“It goes toward our camp-outs and weekly activities like making ice fishing jigs, bat boxes that they hang in trees to attract bats because they eat insects and they’re good for the environment. Sometimes we have cakes for birthdays and make arts and crafts for holidays, we do compass work, map reading, hiking, things involving nature and learning life skills as well,” O’Donnell said.

The youngest Scouts are Beavers, followed by Cubs, Venturers and Rovers.

There are approximately 50 children involved in Sault Ste. Marie’s Scouts Canada group, the various age groups meeting at St. Paul’s from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the week.

Scouts will be selling apples at various locations from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Those locations include Walmart, Pino’s Get Fresh on Saturday, Giant Tiger at Market Mall and Trunk Road, Metro Market Mall, Churchill Plaza and Northern Avenue, the Cambrian Mall entrances near CIBC and LifeLabs, Food Basics Pine Plaza, Peavey Mart, Heritage Home Hardware and Value Village.

“People usually put in a loonie or toonie, or sometimes twenty dollars. Sometimes they don’t take an apple. Sometimes they just give a donation. It brings back old memories for some because they used to be Scouts themselves,” O’Donnell said.

The local Scouts raised approximately $3,500 last year, O’Donnell estimated, stating that funds raised are much needed for Scouts activities and appreciated.

“It’s definitely fulfilling to be a Cubs leader. I’ve always enjoyed hanging out with kids because I’m sometimes a child myself. It brings out the kid in me and I love it,” O’Donnell said.

“You don’t find volunteers in Scouts who don’t love it. I’ve been involved in this for almost 25 years,” said Neil McLean, Sault Ste. Marie Scouts group commissioner.

Local parents and guardians can register their children for Scouts activities online.