One thing driving the Christmas spirit in Swift Current is generosity.

That's exactly what's behind a recent donation to the Salvation Army for their Giving Tree promotion. 

The Giving Tree is a tree over at the Swift Current Mall. Children are able to hang a tag on the tree, describing something they want for Christmas that they might not be able to get themselves. 

The folks over at Standard Motors, Standard Dodge, and Cypress Motors got together and have donated three separate cheques, each for $5,000, totalling $15,000 to be spent on any remaining Christmas gift wishes.

Ryan Plewis, a partner with Plewis Automotive Group, has once again gotten together with his contemporaries to make sure Swift Current kids have something to open Christmas day.

"We were kind of paying attention as to what was happening and when it got close to the deadline, we knew that there were still quite a few wishes on the tree that were yet to be fulfilled," said Plewis. "We just felt that it wasn't all right to have those wishes outstanding, and if there was something that we could do about it as a group of auto dealers that we should do something about it."

This marks the second year that the automotive industry in Swift Current has come together during the holidays for the Giving Tree. 

"Last year we pulled all the rest of the tags off the tree and went shopping and made sure that they had all those gifts fulfilled," said Plewis. "This year, they had a little bit of extra time and they had a couple of other programs going with Canadian Tire, so we in consultation with the Salvation Army just decided a donation would be the best way for them to fulfill those gifts."

The generosity of Plewis Automotive Group, which operates standard Motors and Standard Dodge, and the Parsons Family, which operates Cypress Motors, has made sure that Christmas for families feeling the strife of this economic slump won't be one without presents. 

The Salvation Army managed to gather 550 presents this year during Toys Days from folks in Swift Current at the Canadian Tire last Friday and Saturday. Those toys are all going towards the requests put forward with the Giving Tree, with the three $5,000 donations allowing the Salvation Army to wrap up any loose ends.