This year, the Sears Canada Charitable Foundation campaign will raise money from the sale of a comprehensive Christmas book.

Sears Canada will donate $2 from every $14.99 sale of The Canadian Living Christmas Book to almost 200 children’s charities.

Ross Rigney, vice-president of public relations and government affairs at Sears Canada, said in a brief interview the company used focus groups extensively last fall to find out what would-be readers wanted in the Christmas book.

The book, which will be simultaneously published in French as Coup de Pouce Le Livre de Noel, contains recipes, craft ideas, holiday environmental advice, children’s projects, tips on entertaining, and more.

The Canadian Living Christmas Book was written by Canadian Living magazine food editor Elizabeth Baird and craft editor Anna Hobbs.

Rigney, speaking from a plane en route to Vancouver from Toronto, says, in the past, Sears Canada has used other means to raise funds for charity, including a teddy bear.

Last year, he says, Sears Canada donated the money it raised from the sale of its catalogue to consumers who did not qualify to receive it for nothing.

The Canadian Living Christmas Book was printed in Altona, Man.

Sears Canada ordered 530,000 copies of it and hopes to raise $1 million.