THANKSGIVING BACK.
ABOUT.
Thanksgiving Back is an opportunity to be part of Revelstoke's strong community by volunteering with local organizations on registered volunteer projects. As a thank-you, volunteers from outside our community can get the accommodation costs during the event dates reimbursed up to $400.
The campaign, which operates on two weekends near Thanksgiving annually, aims to foster a connection between visitors and our community, support our local non-profits, drive visitation in the shoulder season, and educate visitors about the efforts that go into projects like these.
THE WHY.
This campaign is part of Tourism Revelstoke’s goal to foster regenerative tourism. We want to develop campaigns that support our visitor economy and benefit our local community.
According to a report in 2022, Thanksgiving Back brought in over $50,000 in total community spending. This includes $24,500 for program implementation (which directly supported local businesses) and another $25,000 spent by participants during their stay. Local accommodations saw $20,000 in direct bookings, and visitors spent an average of $135 per day on additional expenses — everything from meals to souvenirs.
Mandi, Railway Museum volunteer from Trail, BC
"ThanksgivingBack has given us one of the most special and memorable weekends ever. Chris & I spent yesterday at the @revelstokerailwaymuseum helping them relocate artifacts and tidy up as the museum readjusts one year into the pandemic. I can wholeheartedly say that while we certainly worked hard, our time at the museum was truly a special and memorable one, complete with a private behind-the-scenes tour after. Museum Director, Jim Cullens passion for his work was positively infectious, and the sweet + kind board member George Perkins gave us a real firsthand oral recount of the railway history of Revy. We left our day deeply fulfilled and floating on a cloud.
We've found some wonderful new friends here thanks to this incentive. We'd like to thank @Revelstoke and whoever thought of this incredible idea for giving us an educational, community-oriented, fun experience that we'll never forget. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Revelstoke. We'll be back."
