HELP THE CHRISTMAS FUND SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER
Need has never been greater in city in tough economic times
When I was a boy growing up on a small prairie farm northeast of Calgary, Christmas Day could not come soon enough.
As the winds turned colder and the snow flew — and yes, back then snowbanks actually did seem bigger — the anticipation grew each December day as our family of seven collectively opened the tattered windows on our cardboard advent calendar during the long countdown to the big day.
My father would erect the Christmas tree purchased for a few dollars from a lot at the nearby village, around the first week of December.
And as my four older brothers and I jostled to hang dozens of decorations and place layers of sparkling tinsel on that spindly evergreen tree, it seemed to transform our modest farmhouse into one of glittering majesty.
We really didn’t have much of great worth. But boy, we were spoiled with Christmas gifts! As kids, it was exciting. And it was energizing.
All of us have our favourite Christmas memories. I am sure yours are just as magical.
I look back now and realize how lucky we were.
Yet, in our media jobs, we get a daily dose of reality of how difficult life is for so many in this city — especially at this time of year.
That is the impetus behind the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund campaign — which I am proud to launch for the 27th season today!
It’s our chance to spend some of our collective Christmas energy and give back to this great city in a meaningful way. To help others less fortunate, and raise funds for 12 caring agencies dedicated to addressing critical needs in our community.
We hope you will join us by donating. Since the fund’s inception in 1991, $26 million has been donated to Calgary-based charities. Last year, we raised just short of $1 million in a difficult economic time.
This year hasn’t been much different. We all know friends, neighbours or relatives hit hard by the sluggish Alberta economy, which appears to finally be showing signs of recovery.
The need has never been greater, as people turn to social agencies in numbers not witnessed since the 1980s. Alongside that is the often hidden toll of mental health, which we know is having a devastating effect on people in our city.
Each of the 12 selected agencies does invaluable work. They are the real stars of this show, and we are looking forward to telling their stories over the next six weeks.
There are many things we believe are special about the Christmas Fund campaign. For starters, every dime raised goes directly to the agencies. Since the beginning, the Herald has absorbed all administrative costs — we are proud of that.
Every year, the selected charities tell us the single best thing we do is tell their stories and, more importantly, tell our readers about the people they help. Those clients talk about how they have dealt with their problems, and how your money delivers hope.
In addition, we also have another special feature this year to benefit the Christmas Fund. We are partnering with Calgary Firefighters, the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Society and Calgary Health Trust to present our first New Year’s Eve gala, with proceeds going to the burn treatment society and the 12 agencies in this year’s fund.
It is a very exciting innovation for all of us and, over the next few weeks, we will be sharing many more details on the gala and the tremendous work being done locally at the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Centre at the Foothills Hospital.
To donate to this year’s campaign, please go to our secure online form at calgaryherald. com/christmasfund, or clip out the donation form in the print edition and mail it with your donation to the attached address.
For those interested in calling in, please dial 403-235-7481, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We hope you will join in and help us play a small part in making our community a better place for all.