The Holiday Bus spread join and good cheer to wrap up 2025.
The Lethbridge Transit bus was decked out over the holidays and made stops at various events in November and December.
At each stop, residents made donations toward the Christmas Hope campaign.
Food, cash and toys were gifted to partnering agencies, with donation totals including:
- 1,500 pounds of food, which is five times more than the previous year;
- $300 in cash;
- Nearly 70 new toys for local youth.
“We’re humbled by the generosity of our community and beyond grateful to everyone who donated to the Christmas Hope Campaign this season,” says Joseph Bompiani, operations manager of Lethbridge Transit. “The Holiday Bus is a really fun and festive way to introduce residents to Lethbridge Transit while also giving back to the community.”
There was a total of five stops made on the tour, which included the VisitLethbridge.com Arena, Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre, Festival Square in downtown Lethbridge, and the northside Save-On-Foods.
“We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all the community partners, residents and visitors who helped us spread a little joy these holidays,” adds Bompiani. “We’re already eagerly anticipating the return of the Holiday Bus next season.”
READ MORE: Holiday Bus rolling into Lethbridge to collect Christmas Hope donations
Partner agencies involved in the Christmas Hope campaign included the Lethbridge Food Bank, Interfaith Food Bank, the Salvation Army, Lethbridge Family Services, MyCityCare, Volunteer Lethbridge, and the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.
“The Holiday Bus brought so much joy to the Christmas Hope campaign and offered a special and meaningful way for the community to support our efforts to help those in need,” says Danielle McIntyre, executive director of Interfaith Food Bank.
“Lighting up the city with its beautiful display of colour, the bus helped make the holidays brighter for everyone and collect an incredible range of donations.”
At each stop, Lethbridge Transit staff handed out candy canes and free transit passes to visitors. For the 2025 holiday season, the Christmas Hope campaign served almost 5,300 babies, children and teens, and over 3,500 adults, including 207 seniors. In total, the initiative helped over 8,800 individuals in Lethbridge and the surrounding area.
READ MORE: Togetherness helps bring joy to families through ‘Christmas Hope’ campaign
