WINNIPEG -- One Winnipeg couple is turning pallets into snowmen with the intention of giving back to the community.
Val Ruth said at first they were just making the snowmen to decorate their own yard, and to give as gifts to their friends.
“Then he said to me, ‘What if we make some and try and sell them and give the money to (Harvest Manitoba)?'," Ruth said.
“So we thought we’d give it a try and 104 snowmen later, that’s the story.”
Ruth said the snowmen are made out of repurposed wood torn apart from pallets, which is then painted and adorned with a scarf. They take about 1.5 to two days to make.
After selling more than 100 snowmen, Ruth said the response has been unbelievable, and it’s not something she ever expected. She added that their neighbours have been particularly supportive in buying the snowmen.
“I don’t know if they’d ever be such a hit ever again,” she said.
“I think this year has been a different kind of season for everyone and a lot of people have bought them as Christmas gifts.”
Ruth said the initiative has also served as an opportunity for the couple to get to know more people in their neighbourhood.
“This has enabled us to meet a lot of our neighbours, so that’s been really, really nice,” she said.
After selling 104 snowmen, the couple has made $1,500 for Harvest Manitoba and $750 for Agape Table, with the remainder going to Siloam Mission.
-With files from CTV’s Jamie Dowsett
