Sometimes words aren’t enough, but I wanted to pass along a heartfelt thank you.

In November of 2011, I came up with an idea to help others. It wasn’t a well thought out plan. I learned a lot along the way, but I was hoping through my platform, and some unique ideas, we could help the less fortunate at Christmas and I came up with The Month of Giving. My goal was to raise $25,000 in the month of December through various on-air auctions. I started it on December 1st and every weekday I’d have a different item to auction off up until my final show before Christmas.

The first year we raised over $50,000 and I realized listeners to my show on TSN 1260 and readers here at Oilersnation.com are very generous and want to help out. Each year I try to come up with a few different packages, but I also try to maintain the regular packages which garner large bids.

Eight years later and Month of Giving has grown much bigger than I ever could have imagined. This year, in only 15 days, we raised an amazing $114,200.00.

That is un-f%&#ing-believable. Pardon my language.

We helped thousands of families, children, teens, parents and seniors this Christmas. We raised money for simple necessities like food for the Christmas Bureau, the Brightfield Elementary breakfast program and M.E Lazerte High School food program. We should never take for granted how lucky some of us are, and I believe we need to look out for others. I’m so grateful the listeners of TSN 1260 and the readers of Oilersnation feel the same way.

I want to thank all the sponsors who donated auction items:

Full Acre Consulting
The Brick
A-1 Heating St. Albert
Realtor Michelle Derk
Mr. Derks
The Ranch Golf and Country Club
Kerry McGowan and Trilogy Oilfield Rentals
Ruth’s Chris
The Glendale Golf and Country Club
On the Rocks
Leading Edge Physio
The Urban Tavern
Lakewood Chev
Grand Villas Casino and Atlas Steak + Fish
Hughes Petroleum
Vivo Ristorante, Jason Strudwick, Rob Brown and Jason Chimera
Blue Sky Limos
Connor McDavid
Liquor Depot
Brad German and Chop Steakhouse in Ellerslie.
Manny Viveiros
XIX (the restaurant) and Al Prokop
Blackhawk Golf Club

I also had a few people who donated Oilers tickets anonymously. Thank you.

I would also like to thank those who bid so generously on all the packages. If you didn’t win but still bid, thank you for increasing the prices. It allowed us to raise more money.

Thank you Gary, Trent, Glen, Steve, Riley, Jeremy, Heather, Kathryn, Curtis, JNose,  Richard, Lucas, Emil, Jason, Scott, Zack, Ryan, Karla, Paul, Nolan, Ken, Brent, Shane, Ryan D, and Tyler.

Also, thank you to all who participated in our Pyramid of Giving. These fine people generously donated money. We had eight people donate $100, six donate $250, four donate $500 and two donate $1000. We ended up having three people donate $1000 so we raised $8,500 for the Holiday Hamper one day and another day we raised $5,200 for Adopt-A-Teen.

Thank you all who donated. You make Northern Alberta a great place. And thanks to those who listened throughout the month, knowing that sometimes we would talk a little less sports so I could plug the daily auction.

Your donations and bids helped many who really needed it. We helped out The Christmas Bureau, The Holiday Hamper, Brightfield elementary breakfast program, The Alzheimers Foundation, Adopt-A-Teen, The MS Society, ME Lazerte High School food program, Operation Friendship Senior Society and Santas Anonymous.

Thank you Edmonton and surrounding areas. We live in a wonderfully generous community and I’m proud to call this area my home. Please know you made Christmas, and many other weeks and months, much more enjoyable for many people in need.

In eight years I can proudly say we have raised $677,849.00 through our Month of Giving program. Typing that number makes me swell up with pride. I hope you feel the same.

My heart was overflowing with love when it was ended this year. It takes a lot of work to organize the packages, arrange to get the money and then passing it along to the charities, but it is so worth it. Everyone is willing to help and I’m amazed at how many companies and individuals send me notes expressing their interest to be a part of it.

Thank you again, and while you prepare for a big weekend watching back-to-back Oilers games, I hope you had a great Christmas and all the best in 2019.

God bless.

On a positive Oilers note. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are all on pace for career-best seasons.

McDavid has 23 goals and 61 points through the Oilers first 40 games. He missed one. In his previous two seasons, he had identical 14 goals and 45 points in the first 40 games. He finished with 100 and 108 points. He is on pace for 48 goals and 126 points.

Leon Draisaitl has 22 goals and 51 points in 40 games. In his previous two seasons, he had 34 points through the first 40 games both times. He finished with 77 and 70 points. He is on pace for 103 points.

RNH has 14 goals and 36 points in 40 games. His previous best was 35 points in 40 games as a rookie. He missed 20 games and finished with 52 points. RNH is on pace for 73 points which would shatter his previous best of 56 points in 2014 and 2015.

Alex Chiasson has already set a career-best in goals with 16. The best-bang-for-your-buck UFA signing could more than double his previous high of 13 goals.