HOLIDAY SPIRIT
Free ticket giveaway to the Star’s Christmas Carol concert draws large crowd.
It’s 8:30 a.m. and there’s a long, winding line at 1 Yonge St. The line has drawn a diverse group of people: a future mother-in-law and daughterin-law, a retired married couple, a Sri Lankan immigrant.
They’re all waiting for the same thing: free tickets to the 38th annual Christmas Carol Concert, a fundraising event to benefit the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund.
The fund sends gift boxes of clothing, books and toys to children in need over the holidays.
Julie Montagna sits proudly at the front of the line.
Despite arriving at 4 a.m., she’s all smiles. She’s dressed for the occasion in a red sweater, green hat and silver scarf, tied into a large bow.
She’s held the coveted position of being first in line for the concert before and will surely hold it again and again.
“It’s a wonderful tradition. I think of the children in need throughout the city,” Montagna said. “And hopefully they’ll be surprised on Christmas morning.”
The two fundraising concerts are set for Dec. 3 and will take place at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Bloor Street Church. They will feature choirs from Toronto and some surrounding cities.
Asoka Perera, who moved to Canada three years ago from Sri Lanka and has attended the concert ever since, is second in line. He said he loves the concert because of the large number of choirs it showcases. Perera sang in a choir for eight years during his school days.
“There isn’t a single event ushering in the holiday season as good and as celebrated as the Toronto Star concert,” Perera said.
The line stretches out behind Perera and Montagna, filled with people who have been waiting for hours.
The church is only able to accommodate 1,500 or so per concert.
For many families, this is a yearly tradition.
Barbara Switzer, who has attended the concert for the past five years, brought her future daughter-in-law Virve Aljas for the first time this year so that they can attend the concert as a family.
Switzer also volunteers to help pack the gift boxes and deliver them to children.
“We’ve been talking about getting the kids involved in packing boxes, too,” Aljas said.
Last year, the Santa Claus Fund raised about $46,000. Barbara Mrozek, director of Toronto Star Charities and Philanthropy, said this year it would be nice to meet or surpass the highest amount the fund has ever raised, almost $56,000, in 2010.
Mrozek reflected on the “spirit of community” the concert fosters — a spirit that is felt by those waiting in line for tickets to the event.