The final total of the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes has been counted as the shoe boxes were packed into larger cartons over the past week and shipped on Sunday.

"The numbers were down from last year which, I think, considering the state of the economy isn't really surprising.We're probably down 200-300 boxes from last year," Bev Alexander, Coordinator, Operation Christmas Child Weyburn

"I think between the economy and the increase in shipping, it's only $3 a box but if you were a person that packed multiple boxes, that made you stop and consider if you can do that many boxes.

"We ended up with 1149 boxes," added Alexander who said it is a reasonable amount.

Alexander also added that the boxes come to Weyburn from communities around Weyburn including Carlyle and Midale who could have taken boxes to Estevan instead.

A truck from Regina came to pick up the boxes on the way to Estevan.

There were players from the Weyburn Red Wings who helped to pack the cartons of shoeboxes onto the truck

"We had three wonderful young men from the Red Wings that came and helped load the truck so that was a blessing because at the end of hauling the cartons around for a few days, loading the truck is a fairly heavy job so having those young strong arms was nice and they were so very pleasant to work with," added Alexander who also said how the players even offered to help at the end if there was anything else they were needed for.

The Weyburn collection center has collected thousands of shoeboxes over the past two decades.

More information on Operation Christmas Child can be found here.