Sundance Vacations Ensure People in Wilkes-Barre Stay Warm This Winter

For the past three years, Sundance Vacations has held a clothing donation drive to support the Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Normally the collection is held in November, but two Sundance employees decided that this year it might be better to accumulate the donations earlier. Vincella Ross and Melinda “Mindy” Gray knew that October was the perfect time of the year to begin helping people combat the impending winter and started accepting donations at the tail end of September.

“The weather is so unpredictable,” Gray said.  “The sooner we can give, the sooner they’ll be protected against the cold.”

Vincella and Mindy set up large donation boxes at our Wilkes-Barre office in both the marketing and administrative lunch rooms for employees to donate goods.

Vincella, Special Events Manager at Sundance Vacations, began organizing the company coat drive in 2012 as a way to donate lightly used coats to those in need.  Since then, it has blossomed into a full clothing drive and every year the company accepts jackets, hoodies, scarves, gloves, snowsuits and other winter items.

Sundance Vacations Charity Coordinator Kelly Valovich says the month-long collection was a wonderful success, citing that the company received so many donations that the boxes were literally overflowing.

The Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre tallied Sundance’s donations to add up to approximately $1,000 retail value worth of clothing.

Lieutenant Ted Tressler, Commanding Officer at Wilkes-Barre chapter of the Salvation Army, is thrilled with generosity of Sundance Vacations’ employees.

“Many people will be helped to stay warm on cold days,” Tressler told Sundance Vacations.  “They will be blessed by [Sundance Vacations] love for others.”

For virtually the past decade, Sundance Vacations has also helped the Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre “Support an Angel” every December.

Employees have the chance to select a special child to purchase Christmas presents for. Right before Christmas, the gifts are collected and donated to the Salvation Army to make a child’s Christmas wishes come true.

Sundance Vacations employees are always discovering new ways to volunteer their time and effort to help those less fortunate.

“Thank you,” Valovich said.  “To all of the generous employees who took time to make a donation to those in need.”

For more information on how you can lend a hand to the Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre, check out our Sundance Vacations Charities page or follow Sundance Vacations on Facebook for opportunities to help more charities near you.

View all charities Sundance Vacations Wilkes-Barre worked with here: Wilkes-Barre News, and make sure to keep up with all Events Sundance Vacations support!

 

Sundance Vacations collected a number of winter gloves, hats, and scarves to donate to the Salvation Army

From left to right: Vincella Ross, James Brando, Angel Valyo, Melinda Gray, Shawn Wall, and Ted Tressler