Mr Kirch says he has been astonished by both the take-up and the number of thank-you cards and letters he has been sent.
At least 9,000 of the £100 CI Traders vouchers have been collected – there are still some at parish halls but Mr Kirch has just 450 left to top up any parishes which need more.
He decided to give away the vouchers to mark his 70th birthday rather than have a big party.
The cost of the gift is about £1 million.
He was told that 9,389 people were eligible for the vouchers but did not expect anywhere near that number to be collected.
He said that the parish of St Helier had three times asked for more vouchers, such had been the response.
‘It has really surprised me how many people have collected vouchers,’ he said.
‘I am aware that some wealthy people have gone to parish halls to collect them and then hand them over to charities, which they are perfectly at liberty to do.
But I did not think such people would queue at parish halls.’
