The joy of books for Christmas
Santa Claus Fund gift boxes bring the gift of reading to 45,000 GTA children
In the Christmases of my east-end Toronto childhood, stories of biblical origin were recounted by priests from the pulpit. The books containing less reverent (and more relished) yarns were found under the Christmas tree.
In most cultures, Christmas and the winter holiday is the storytelling time of year. Like the hopeful tidings of the season, stories connect us, transport us, inform and inspire us.
In our house, little was more thrilling each year than the arrival of a bundle from our relatives in Scotland — literally brown paper packages tied up with string — containing the annual editions of Scottish cartoon classics ‘The Broons’ and ‘Oor Wullie.’
My siblings and I read those books so often we could recite every bit of dialogue, in appropriate dialect, before the new year arrived.
In time, our Christmas bounty expanded to include the Hardy Boys and rafts of other boys’ adventure books, which — when traded back and forth — got us contentedly through the Boxing Day lull and that holiday period when Christmas giddiness had passed and an overfed torpor prevailed.
A Christmas without books would have been as unthinkable as a Christmas without Santa.
Only fitting, really, when one considers it was a Clement Moore poem, ‘The Night Before Christmas,’ in1823 and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol — written over six weeks in 1843 — that in large measure invented the modern holiday.
The best in Christmas stories usually speaks to the best in humanity. That’s why so many of the top writers in Canada and around the world — from Alice Munro to Mavis Gallant to Alistair MacLeod — have tried their hand at them.
That’s also why it’s been a longstanding tradition that a book be included each year in the Star’s Santa Claus Fund gift boxes.
“As a newspaper, we fully understand the importance of literacy — especially for children,” said Barb Mrozek, director of Toronto Star charities and philanthropy.
“We realize many of the children who may be receiving our holiday gift may be newcomers to our city. To entice them to embrace their new home and language, we insert books that are colourful, age-appropriate, approved by school boards, popular in title and authors, great quality, durable and contain stories that will entertain both boys and girls.”
From Clifford’s Bedtime Story to My Barnyard, Class Clown to Andrew’s Loose Tooth, the gift boxes make sure stories will be part of Christmas for 45,000 deserving children across Toronto, Mississauga, Ajax and Pickering.
“Many recent studies have shown that book ownership helps kids identify as being readers, and the Santa Claus Fund provides an amazing opportunity to put books into the hands of children and help foster that love of lifelong reading,” said Denise Anderson of Scholastic Canada, which has worked with the Santa Claus Fund for 16 years.
Scholastic’s sales and inventory team works with Mrozek to ensure the titles selected are appropriate, she said.
“A lot of the work is done very early in the year, then the books are locked away in our warehouse until the Santa Claus Fund is ready to receive them.
“That means it can feel like a very long time until you open the paper and see what’s included in the gift boxes that year. Everyone at Scholastic Canada feels proud when they can point at a book shown in a Santa Claus Fund article and say, ‘Hey, that’s one of our books!’ ”
The sharing of stories — or just disappearing into private imagination in the season most congenial to it — is among the most important traditions of what’s been called “the most important season of our existence.
“We spend at least one month out of each year of our lives under the spell of the planet’s most widely celebrated holiday,” author Gerry Bowler wrote in his biography of Santa Claus. “At no other time are our feelings as intense.”
And at no other time can your gen- erosity work such magic by ensuring all children get to share in the wonder of reading and stories.
The Santa Claus Fund, now in its 111th year, has a fundraising goal of $1.7 million for 2016, in order to provide gift boxes with a toy, candy, socks, a warm shirt, mittens, a hat . . . and a book.
It’s not overstating things to say that books, reading, literacy, storytelling gave me the life and career for which I’m grateful.
There might just be no better gift. santaclausfund@thestar.ca
Jim Proudfoot and Milt Dunnell were great supporters of the Star’s Santa Fund. Chester, as we called Jim, was such a big part of our fundraising efforts that the Sportsman’s Corner — our section’s contribution to the fund — was renamed the Proudfoot Corner in his honour after he died in 2001.
This year, our 110th, our goal is $1.7 million. That will go to the 45,000 gift boxes that are distributed to children across the GTA, and each box contains a hat, mittens, a warm shirt and socks, a book, small toy and, of course, some candy.
Because this is a season when many memories are made, we’ve decided to share our favourite stories of Milt and Chester. This week, we turn the space over to former sports editor Phil Bingley.
It was 7:30 a.m. on my first day as the Star’s sports editor back in February 1989. I wanted to get into the office, read the morning papers and have a coffee before any of the writers and editors in the department arrived. In fact, that race was already lost.
Sitting at his desk with his feet up and talking on the phone was legendary columnist Milt Dunnell, then 81 years old. I’d had one dealing with him back in 1968. He had subsidized my trip with the Varsity Blues hockey team to the Student Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, in exchange for a couple of freelance pieces. Looking back, it was clear that it was more of a student grant than a legitimate assignment.
Dumping my coat and briefcase in the office, I waited until Milt had finished his conversation then strolled over to his desk. Milt looked up from reading his paper and smiled as I introduced myself. “Well,” he said. “Congratulations. I assume you know what you’re getting into.”
I grinned nervously and assured him that, well, yes, I thought so.
We chatted for a few minutes and then he dropped his bombshell. “You know, I’m really too old to be doing this job. I think it’s time that we let someone younger have a chance. Just give me a date and I’ll be out of here.”
Oh boy! Perfect! I could just imagine the headline among my bosses and colleagues: “Rookie sports editor spends first day on job getting rid of Canada’s top sports columnist.”
I can’t remember how the conversation went from there, but there was a bit of pleading (on my part) and a lot of praise for the man who was still the No. 1 must-read in Canadian sports journalism.
Sensing that he had almost given up on the idea of early (well, it’s all relative) retirement, I fired my last bullet: “You know, Milt, if you leave, I’ll probably get fired.”
That seemed to turn the tide but not before he insisted, “OK, I’ll stay for now. But just say the word and I’ll clean out my desk.”
And stay he did for several more years, writing three columns a week. He became a mentor and a friend and I became a regular donor to the poker games he hosted every few months at his home in North York.
In his wonderful tribute to Milt when he died in 2008, another Star legend Dave Perkins wrote: “Dunnell always said watching and writing about Northern Dancer was his No. 1 thrill. That would be professional. Personally, he loved to spot a sucker coming toward his desk. There was never a shortage.”
Looking back I often wonder what he saw in me as I walked toward his desk back in 1989.
On the corner: We’ll jump right in and get started with a few donations that missed the deadline last year: D.M. Castro sent us $200, Justin Graham pitched in $100, and Stephen Kaszas sent another C-note in memory of Frank Kaszas. Daki Proudfoot returned with $50 in memory of her uncle Jim Proud- foot. Bob Sturrock kicked in $200 in memory of his East Enders Football Club teammates Smiley McIlroy and Ray Peak. Ed Voigt rustled up $40 from the Parkdale Collegiate “Old Boys” luncheon.
This year’s donations are already rolling in. John Falconi combined with Ken Rovinelli, Irene Petrovich, Lino Girardo, Bill Rodrigues, Andy Alic, Dave Sparling, Peter Scott, John Iannone, Joe Vento, Rick Spironello and Ciro Lupo for $560 in memory of Vince Catalfo. The Speck family contributed $100 on behalf of Wally, Mary, Ron, Debbie, Scott, Cindy, Paul, Mary, grandchildren June, Tyler, Andy, Jara, Shannon, Lisa, Matthew, Michael and great-grandchildren Markus, Evan, Zackary, Isabella, Dylan and new to the world in November — Ellie.
Bob Green sent us $59.95 in memory of his best bud Brian Rundle; the curious amount is the going rate of Appleton’s Rum, Brian’s imbibement of choice.
Big thanks to donors who ponied up $200 each: Lynne Crouter, in memory of radio legend Wally Crouter; Norma Hostrawser and Mary Elliott. Al Hodginsdropped a note mentioning that he was at Wrigley Field for the first two games of the 1945 World Series, the Cubs’ last appearance before they made history last month. He sends in $200 “in memory of the great Jim Proudfoot and Bentley” from the Barkers, Eves, and Hodgins families.
Thanks to all!