Your Canadian Coins Can Help Rebuild Goderich, Ontario
On the afternoon of Sunday, August 21, 2011, an F3 tornado blew in off Lake Huron and swept through the center of the beautiful town of Goderich, Ontario. One person was killed, many were injured, and the town’s unique “Octagonal Square” was devastated. Experts have described the storm as the strongest to hit Ontario since 1996.
Victoria St. Church. Photo credit: Craig Glover, London Free Press
Goderich has a special place in our hearts at Euro Coin Exchange, as our family has made many trips from Atlanta to attend Goderich’s annual Celtic Roots Festival, a week-long celebration of traditional music and dance. The people of Goderich warmly embraced us, and we’ve come to consider the town of Goderich our hometown in Canada.
Queen Victoria once described Goderich as the “Prettiest Town in Canada,” and until August 21 her words remained true. Now, not so much.
Aerial view of Goderich's Octagonal Town Square Before the Tornado
Goderich Town Square After the Tornado. Photo credit: Craig Glover, London Free Press
The residents of Goderich have barely begun to catalog the damage. Dozens of buildings of architectural and historical significance were destroyed or damaged. Families and businesses have lost their homes. The town’s canopy of mature specimen trees has been mowed down. It will take many years, formidable effort, and uncountable dollars to restore Goderich to what it was. Much of what was damaged or destroyed is not the sort of thing which is covered by insurance, and the scope of the damage is likely beyond the local government’s ability to repair quickly.
With the philosophy that “many hands make light work,” Euro Coin Exchange has decided to harness the power of the internet to assist our friends in Goderich. If you have Canadian coins or bills which you would like to donate to the town of Goderich’s restoration effort, we have established our processing center as a “virtual coin box.” Euro Coin Exchange will deliver all Canadian currency designated for Goderich which we receive to the Goderich Disaster Relief Fund through our commercial bank in Canada, TD Canada Trust. 100% of all donated currency will be sent to the Goderich Disaster Relief Fund, and Euro Coin Exchange will pay the entire transportation expense to Canada.
Whether you have just a few coins, a handful of old Canadian dollar bills, or a big jar of Canadian coins which you have accumulated over many years, together we can make a profound difference.
To donate your coins, fill out a “Charitable Donations” packing list and enter “Goderich” on the “My chosen charity” line (if it is not convenient to print a packing list, please indicate “attn: Goderich” on your envelope or enclose a note). Mail your coins to E.C.E. Processing Center, 9165 Martin Road, Roswell, GA 30076. You can find packing and shipping tips on our FAQ’s page (including advice on mailing coins at low cost using US Postal Service Flat Rate boxes). To obtain more information, you can contact us through our web site or call toll free at 855-EUROCOIN (855-387-6264).
