Proud to continue a Christmas tradition
The sports world is a place where the competitive instinct runs strong and deep. But it’s also a place of kindness and generosity.
There’s no better proof of that than the Proudfoot Corner, an annual Star tradition, where readers of the paper’s sports pages and people from across the sports community donate money to the Star’s Santa Claus fund.
The Fund, established by Star founder Joseph E. Atkinson in 1906, helps underprivileged children across the Greater Toronto Area celebrate the holidays, with gift boxes filled with toys, clothes, candy and other gifts. Star staffers pack and deliver the gift boxes; recipients are suggested by a group of social service agencies. Ever single penny donated to the Fund goes to help the children in need — the Star covers all administrative costs.
The Proudfoot Corner — named for legendary Star sports columnist Jim Proudfoot — began life as the Sportsman’s Corner. For many years, Proudfoot reminded readers in his always-compelling column to not forget the kids. He’d sometimes gently chide them to donate, but would always thank contributors by name in the paper. When he died in 2001, the torch was passed to Dave Perkins, who carried on the tradition. Since Perkins retired recently, it has become a team approach.
Over the years, the Proudfoot Corner has raised well over $1 million for the Santa Claus Fund, with many readers making their donations an annual tradition.
“This is a really important tradition for our department,” Star sports editor Jennifer Quinn said. “I used to sit next to Dave, who for many years was in charge of the Proudfoot Corner, and he would spend part of each day opening the envelopes that arrived from our readers — often with notes to accompany their donations.”
Just as it’s a tradition for the sports department here, it’s also a tradition maintained by Star readers and the sports community in the GTA.
“I think it’s fantastic that we hear from many of those same readers every year, and we’re very grateful for both their contributions, and for the chance to stay in touch with them,” Quinn said. After Proudfoot had retired following a stroke, he told Perkins of his anticipation of hearing from famil- iar folks every holiday season, as he collected for the kids. “It got so I could recognize the handwriting on the envelopes,” Proudfoot said. “These were people I got to know who just never missed. Whatever they could afford, they sent along. They were the ones I most looked forward to hearing from every year.” ON THE CORNER: Yearly mainstays Elaine Tanner, Canada’s legendary Mighty Mouse of swimming through the late 1960s, and her husband John Watt get the tally going with $100. Their donation was made in memory of John’s pal John (Jocko) Thompson of Balmy Beach Hockey . . . Wally and Lynne Crouter of Aurora kick in $100 to the cause: “Jim would be proud to see it continue.” . . . Joe Ryan of Bath is happy to add another $100 to the tally at this most important time of the year . . . Ian Marr of Belwood, Martha Graham of Toronto, and Glen Brown of Brampton, also have crisp Bordens for the present pot. . . . Mississauga’s stalwart Royal James Boult comes back to the Corner with his customary $75, as does the dependable Patricia Scull of Toronto who donated $50 . . . Amanda, Kelly, Andy and Megan McBride of Newmarket made a $40 donation earlier in the year, for a 26th time . . . J.J. Sweeney of Markham remembers his wife Shirley with his $25 donation . . . One monster gift missed the honour roll last year: Deer Creek Golf Clubs and staff generously ponied up $3,000 to give the kids a holly jolly Christmas. . . . Also from last year, Janis and Kevin Antram of Toronto contributed $208, “a buck per week from the boys” Connor and Tyler, matched dollar for dollar by their parents . . . Crawford Spratt of Toronto sent $150 on behalf of the Dukes of Argyle in memory of great golfer and great friend Peter Deeks . . . Susan Ware, a Star tour guide during the 1970s, knew the affable “Chester” and contributed $100 in memory of her parents George and Eleanor Seto . . . Cara Worthington of North York remarks that Jim, a huge supporter women’s rowing, “must surely be smiling now.” She donated $100 for her ’92 gold medal winning daughter Kay, inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame last year.