Crime Stoppers of Niagara would like to recognize and thank several key donors who made significant contributions to the crime-solving program in 2021.
They are Avondale Stores, the Ed Learn Ford Lincoln dealership, the advertising team at Niagara This Week, YourTV for the Crime Stoppers show and Niagara Parks and the Niagara Falls Illumination Board for lighting up the Falls on both sides of the border in commemoration of last year’s Crime Stoppers Month.
It has been a difficult year for all charities to create awareness and promote their efforts because of the COVID-19 restrictions and it is only through the assistance of organizations that go above and beyond that Crime Stoppers of Niagara and other groups can achieve success.
Avondale Stores have supported Crime Stoppers since the program began in Niagara in September 1985 with proceeds from break-open lottery tickets. When the province shut down a lot of fundraising, including the non-online programs, Avondale continued to provide assistance to Crime Stoppers through financial contributions.
Although we finished the year with a deficit, it was companies like Avondale that made sure we had the funds to continue operating our tip line to take anonymous calls and assist Niagara Regional Police to solve crimes and keep the various communities across Niagara Region safe and secure.
The Ed Learn dealership has also been a long-time supporter of Crime Stoppers and last year again assisted Crime Stoppers of Niagara with the donation of a leased vehicle. It was one of a number of cars that the dealership has provided to Niagara’s Crime Stoppers program to assist with transportation but also serves as a mobile billboard to promote Crime Stoppers across the region.
The Crime Stoppers vehicle attends many events throughout the year and also participates in a number of Santa Claus parades across the region.
Although Niagara This Week has been an ardent supporter of Crime Stoppers through the years, in 2021 the advertising team came up with a concept to provide space available ads in all their publications within the region and to produce ad-supported pages to promote last year’s Crime Stoppers Month. This initiative created a great deal of awareness for Crime Stoppers, especially when COVID restrictions prevented direct contact with the public.
Niagara’s YourTV continues to provide Crime Stoppers of Niagara with an extraordinary platform to create awareness with the airing of the long-running Crime Stoppers shows across the region hosted by Ernie Sibbett, the vice-chair of Crime Stoppers. Again, because of COVID in 2021, it was extremely important to reach a wide audience to promote crime appeals, wanted suspects and to remind people of various scams to prevent them from being victimized.
Finally, but not least, Niagara Parks and the Niagara Falls Illumination Board for all they have done to support Crime Stoppers through the unprecedented pandemic lockdown. Niagara Parks helped create awareness of Crime Stoppers throughout the year and the Illumination Board drew international exposure to Crime Stoppers when they lit up Canada’s Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls with white and blue lights in recognition of last year’s Crime Stoppers Month.
The special lighting of one of the modern wonders of the world was broadcast internationally on an open video internet channel and both the CN Tower in Toronto and the Calgary Tower followed with special lighting events to commemorate Crime Stoppers Month across the country and in other parts of the world.
Contact: Sara Stevens
Administrative Assistant
Crime Stoppers of Niagara
Phone: 905-938-5463
