The gang's all here: Saint John turns out in full force for Harbour Lights

The 20thanniversary edition of the Harbour Lights Campaign has raised well over $100,000 forlocal food banks and it's far from over yet.

After collecting $69,415 in donationsfor local food banks since Nov. 28, Information Morning Saint John'sannual live Christmas show on Dec. 9 at the Saint John City Market netted an additional $52,433 in donations in a single morning.

That's a total of $121,848so far.

Paul Castle, one-time host of CBC Saint John's morning show and Shift in New Brunswick, came up with the idea for the first Harbour Lights Campaign in 1997. Since then, the campaign has raised nearly $2.5 million for 13 food banks in southern New Brunswick.

This year's live broadcast from the City Market featured tunes by Roxy and the Underground Soul Sound, an 8-piece band from Halifaxwho performed classic soul-inflected takes on Christmas hits.

Saint John Mayor Don Darling and councillors served up the traditional mayor's breakfast.

Information Morning Saint John host Hance Colburne, CBC New Brunswick Newshost Harry Forestelland the rest of the CBC gang collected donations, sold mugs, and kept the broadcast running smoothly for hundreds of loyal supporters of local food banks and the CBC.

CBC reporter and Gas Guru Robert Jones offered his traditional predictions for the coming year in Saint John.

Among other witticisms, hedescribed the Port City's trajectory as"just like the City Market escalators. One direction: up."

Check out the full predictions below:

About 250 people lined up to purchase Harbour Lights mugs handmade by local potter David Eastwood.

Every year for Harbour Lights, Port Saint John installs a massive Christmas tree strung with thousandsof lights near the Saint John harbour. For each $2 donation, a bulb on the treeis lit.

The star at the top is illuminated when the financial goal of $50,000 is met.

That star was lit on Dec. 7.

The campaign launched Nov. 28 at NBCC Saint Andrews.

Over the first two weeks of the campaign, the Harbour Lights road show stopped in St. Andrews, St. Stephen, Sussex, Hampton, Rothesay, Grand Bay-Westfield, St. Martins and St. George.

Donations are accepted at the Harbour Lights booth on Level 2of Brunswick Squareor at the CBC Saint John offices, Suite 500Ain theBrunswick Square atrium.

Corporate donors can contact Steven Webb at (506) 632-7720.

The campaign runs until Dec. 23.