SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Yankee Candle Company has donated over $11,000 to Dakin Humane Society, collected from coins tossed into the in-store moat in South Deerfield.
The donation, which spans collections from 2019 to June 2025, is part of a longstanding tradition initiated by Yankee Candle’s founder, Mike Kittredge, in 1994 to support Dakin’s animal welfare programs.
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“At Yankee Candle Village, we believe in giving back to the community that has supported us for so many years,” said Jeff Palmer, sales and operations manager at Yankee Candle Company.
Meg Talbert, executive director at Dakin Humane Society, remarked on the partnership, “Our valued partnership reflects the similarity found in our work; Yankee Candle creates products that celebrate and enhance home life and family connections.”
The coins were collected and transported to Dakin’s Springfield location by Jeff Palmer and Ben Ware, property and guest services manager at Yankee Candle Company. Ware’s team was responsible for cleaning the moat and removing the coins.
Once at Dakin, a team of 40 volunteers spent nearly four weeks cleaning and sorting the coins into separate denominations for a bank deposit. Although the exact total is still being processed by the bank, the preliminary amount indicates a donation of more than $11,000.
Volunteers (from left) Joyce Genet, Donna Wallace, and Tracy Sicbaldi are shown counting and sorting some of the moat coins that were donated to Dakin Humane Society from Yankee Candle Company. (Photo provided by Dakin Humane Society)
Dakin Humane Society, located in Springfield, is a nonprofit organization known for its innovative services that improve the lives of animals and the people who care for them. Since 1969, Dakin has become a recognized leader in animal welfare, sheltering, treating, and fostering more than 20,000 animals annually. They have also performed over 134,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009.
Yankee Candle’s donation continues a tradition of community support, benefiting Dakin Humane Society’s mission to care for animals and enrich lives.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.
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Source:: News – Boston – wwlp
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