The Lloydminster Lions Club helped bring a little extra warmth to the Border City this winter with the completion of its eighth annual sock donation drive.
Read more: Lloydminster announces deputy mayor schedule for 2026
Following a photo opportunity at the Lloydminster Legacy Centre on Dec. 22, Lions Club members distributed a total of 792 pairs of socks to local organizations supporting people in need.
The donations were shared between the SPARK Foundation, the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter and the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre.
Donation bins were set up throughout the community at the Lloydminster Legacy Centre, Northern Factory Workwear and Exhaust Masters. Lions members also boosted the campaign through personal donations collected during club events, including Christmas socials and the club’s annual Grey Cup watch party.
The timing of the donations was especially important, with frigid temperatures gripping the city.
“I myself appreciate a new pair of socks, so to be able to give members of our unhoused community new socks feels good,” said Lloydminster Lions Club member Rick Campbell. “To be able to give them something we don’t even think twice about needing also feels good.”
Campbell said the drive highlights how easily everyday necessities can be taken for granted.
“We don’t realize how lucky we are to be able to go down to the store and buy new socks when we need them,” he said. “Many people can’t do that, and to be able to give them a pair of socks to stay warm in the Canadian winters is great.”
At the SPARK Foundation, director of social enterprise Kyle MaKay, said the socks will help meet ongoing needs across several programs.
“Primarily, these socks will be going towards the shelter and the youth centre,” said MaKay. “We’ll be giving whatever the shelter needs for the year, putting some into storage for the needs of the entirety of 2026, and the youth centre for those kids in need of them, too.”
MaKay added demand has increased as winter conditions worsen.
“With the weather, we’re seeing a lot of people coming to the store as we’re the primary face of the organization. We’re very accessible and we’re seeing a lot of people in need,” he said. “Right now, with the weather, the cold and the snow, socks are in high demand.”
The Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre also welcomed the donation, noting its impact on frontline advocacy work.
“This donation means a lot to us,” said executive director Deborah Munro. “We do a lot of advocacy but don’t have a large amount of funding for those advocacy programs. Donations like this go a long way to helping our advocacy efforts to help the most vulnerable in the city.”
Munro said the centre serves anyone in the community, though many of its clients are Indigenous and experiencing homelessness.
“Some are experiencing homelessness and see us as a lifeline for food, warmth and even a cup of coffee,” she said. “It’s nice to have this donation of socks to provide comfort and warmth in addition to what we do.”
The Lloydminster Men’s Shelter echoed those sentiments.
“Our guys always need socks and toques. This donation will really help,” said board member Ken Nealis. “I thank the Lions Club for this donation. It will help the guys who are struggling with their health and to stay warm.”
Nealis added some of the socks will also be used by the shelter’s outreach van, which visits encampments throughout the city.
Read more: Lashburn Christmas Classic scores big for cancer research
