Kamloops resident Cassie McNutt (left) sits with her dad Don McNutt on a sleigh they built and painted for their annual charity drive.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

Walking into a festive Christmas display in a front yard in Kamloops is like walking into a real-life Whoville.

There are seven-foot candy canes, a big, red Santa sleigh and a mind-boggling number of Christmas lights.

“We’re putting up 55,000 lights this year,” homeowner Don McNutt said from his perch on a ladder leaning against the house. “Every year we’re getting a bit bigger.”

The festive wonderland display is part of the sixth annual Cassie’s Charity Drive that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for Kamloops Hospice.

The force behind the project is Don’s daughter, 18-year-old Cassie McNutt.

“We start decorating at the beginning of September and once it’s Halloween we have Halloween stuff on the lawn and candy canes on the roof, so its pretty funny,” she said.

“A lot of stuff in our yard is homemade. I made the candy canes out of pool noodles and duct tape, and built and painted the sleigh. It’s kind of a big art project, my dad doesn’t sleep much during this time.”

Cassie’s Charity Drive started in 2019 when the then 12-year-old prompted her parents to hold a homeless winter clothing drive. With the help from the community, the family filled three or four trucks for the shelters that first year and collected roughly $2,000 for local charities. 

The drive has grown much, much bigger over the years.

“The first year on Christmas Eve we went out to hand out clothes and hot chocolate to the homeless,” Cassie said. “One man was young, early 20s and that was something that stuck out to me, he was so cold and so grateful. I thought, wow, this is actually impacting people.”

In 2020 during the COVID pandemic, the family did a toy drive for less fortunate families though the local charity Christmas Amalgamated.

“Every day I’d come home from school, sanitize all the toys that were dropped off and we delivered them with masks on,” she said. “There were no Santas in town that year either and so my dad dressed as Santa and kept his distance standing in the yard for people coming to see the lights.

“When so many are struggling in our own ways, when there is an ability to spread the happiness throughout it all, people really grab onto that.”

This property at 5215 Dallas Drive in Kamloops is decorated for Cassie's Charity Drive.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

In 2021, Cassie raised roughly $20,000 for the Kamloops Hospice, which allowed the purchase of patient ceiling lifts. She said she raised enough money to purchase three of the lifts, while a community member stepped in to buy nine more on Cassie’s behalf.

The drive has raised a total of roughly $200,000 for Kamloops Hospice, through monetary donations and a 50/50 raffle. Last year, the funds allowed the purchase of cuddle beds at the hospice.

“They’re bigger, expandable beds that can fit all sizes, and they’re for patients to have family members in bed with them," Cassie said. “I remember being in hospice with my grandpa and uncle and it’s kind of awkward when someone is in a hospital bed, you don’t want to hurt them when you’re hugging them. I remember never knowing if I should climb in there, and there wasn’t enough space.”

The hospice is not only a special place for Cassie who said goodbye to family members there, it’s a place that connects the whole community.

“A few years ago, we were collecting donations for hospice and this little girl came up to me with her piggy bank and told me she’d been saving up to donate to the charity,” she said. “She was probably six years old. She said ‘I want to give my piggy bank money because my daddy passed away in hospice.'

“No matter how old you are, hospice can connect everyone.”

This Grinch doll is trapped in a cage at 5215 Dallas Drive in Kamloops.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

The McNutts are turning on the Christmas lights for the first time Sunday night and they’ll be on every night through to Dec. 31. There are fire pits, hot chocolate and an appearances by Santa himself for those who want a picture with him.

“Last year we had the Grinch on the roof and he was trying to steal the lights, the kids were across the street watching the skit,” Cassie said. “All the kids had to say ‘go away Mr. Grinch and finally the Grinch left and then the lights came on and Santa appeared on the lawn.”

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Located at 5215 Dallas Drive, there will be a collection box for donations there and a bin for collecting hospice wish list items that are posted on Cassie’s Facebook page, along will all information on popups events and raffle tickets. 

She is doing three 50/50 raffles this year each worth $20,000 with half proceeds going to the winner and half to the hospice. She has people from all over the province participating in the raffle.

Cassie is currently earning a bachelor of science degree at Thompson Rivers University getting prerequisites for dental hygiene which she’ll have to leave Kamloops to pursue. She intends to keep giving in one way or another, but doesn’t have a clear plan for the future of Cassie’s Charity Drive yet.

Mostly, she wants to inspire others to start their own giving projects.

“Anyone can start something like this, we started with a bin on our front lawn,” she said.

This year funds are going to general operating costs for the hospice, where Sarah Irvine is the fund development lead.

“Cassie is amazing, she is such an advocate for us and we’re super grateful for her work and generosity of our community,” she said. “She is inspirational, she’s a change maker."

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The hospice has to raise $1.3 million every year to cover operating costs.

“We don’t have extra for unexpected costs and the cost of living is going up," Irvine said. "The funds brought in through Cassie’s charity has helped to cover that and purchase equipment and new beds.”   

When asked why she enjoys giving so much, Cassie said it was just the way she was raised, that it’s important to be grateful and give back.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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