Toronto Star

Pubdate:December 24, 1991

Page: A1

Section:NEWS

Edition:HO2

Length:1101

35,000 children happier -- thanks to you

Byline/Source: By Al Sokol Toronto Star

That jubilant Christmas chorus you hear is 35,000 needy children in Metro saying "thank you" in unison to Star readers. In the worst of times since the Great Depression of the 1930s, readers set a record for generosity. The Star Santa Claus Fund went beyond its ambitious goal of $850,000, reaching more than $909,000 as of yesterday. Donations are still coming in, ensuring a running start for the Christmas '92 campaign when, it is hoped, there will be marked relief from the devastating recession that saw almost 300,000 Metro residents relying on some form of welfare this month. By reaching the highest total in the 85-year history of the Santa Claus Fund, readers have made it possible for 35,000 kids, who would likely have gone without a Christmas gift tomorrow, to experience some joy during these bleak times. The fund does not resolve the oppressive problems of poverty and unemployment in Metro Toronto. But it does give thousands of children, who would otherwise have been disappointed, a reason to believe in Santa Claus. Each child will receive a Star gift package by tomorrow with his or her name on the brightly decorated box. Children 12 and under will receive warm, winter clothing - in their sizes - some candy and a small toy. Youngsters 13 and 14 will get a certificate so they can choose their own gifts. The Star absorbs the administrative costs of the Santa Fund but it takes an army of volunteers to make certain the 35,000 gift boxes arrive at the homes of the needy children by Christmas day. Some volunteers give up their vacation to work on the distribution of the Christmas boxes while others are active retirees. They insist they're getting as much as they're giving, but not according to The Star's Rose Cudney, who oversees the Santa Claus Fund program. "Without the volunteers we couldn't get the boxes to the children," said Cudney, adding most families getting gifts don't have cars. "The delivery of the boxes is essential to the success of the Santa Claus Fund." The boxes are put together and dropped off at various centres in Metro by Star employees. The volunteers must then sort them for delivery and take them to the homes of people who have applied for gift boxes on behalf of their children. Boy scout groups deliver boxes in the downtown core and learn valuable lessons in the process, noted one of the co-ordinators, Robbie Engel. They discover that many people in the community are not as fortunate as they are, said Engel. Donations came from every source, young and old, poor and wealthy and everyone in between. The $850,000 looked overly ambitious, given the harsh economic times, but Terry Taggart, the newspaper's public relations manager, was optimistic right from the start. "These are tough times and the need has never been greater, but I have faith in our readers," said Taggart. "This is a big city with a big heart; our readers have never let us down." Donations also came in from communities, big and small, throughout Ontario. Most contributors outside Metro were people who recalled receiving Star gift boxes as children during difficult times and now were in a position to repay old favors. One Burlington resident wrote that she was one of six children living in Toronto who were deserted by their father, abused by a drunken mother and eventually raised by a widowed grandmother. "I will never forget the Star boxes that arrived each Christmas day," she wrote. "Few people will understand how important those boxes were to us. It meant someone we didn't even know cared about us." All the children, she said, became productive adults, never to require welfare again. A brother, the woman noted with pride, went on to become a physician. There were projects and initiatives that merit special attention. Once again the 680 students at Islington Junior Middle School in Etobicoke collected pennies for the fund - about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of copper. After two weeks of rolling, they borrowed the kindergarten wagons to haul the money to the bank. Guidance counsellor Bonnie Panacci announced a grand total of $1,526 had been raised, well ahead of last year's donation of $1,256. The 25 partners in the Toronto office of Arthur Andersen & Co., an international firm of chartered accountants, shared their "strong earnings" this year by contributing $20,000 to the Santa Claus Fund, the largest corporate donation. Local 27 of the Carpenters & Allied Workers union sent a cheque for almost $600 to the fund, noting that, "although jobs are at an all-time low in construction and the outlook does not look good for the future, no recession should be allowed to take Santa out of Christmas for needy children." The Star's Christmas Carol concerts at St. Paul's Church on Bloor St. E. have become a Yuletide tradition for thousands in southern Ontario and a major source of revenue for the Santa Fund. Some 6,000 patrons packed the church for the two concerts earlier this month to hear choirs from St. Paul's, St. James and St. Simon's churches with a combined total of more than 150 voices. There were also performances from the Canadian Salvation Army Staff Band as well as a special appearance by the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. This year, $20,241 was collected from the concerts and donated to the Santa Claus Fund, some $3,000 more than in 1990. Once again, the thousands of Star readers who donated $10, $25 and $50 were the backbone of the fund. There were also a number of readers who offered to open their homes to needy families over Christmas - and one widower received three job offers. Because The Star honors the confidentiality of all fund recipients, the offers were forwarded to the appropriate agencies. We can report that Bill G., a former sales executive who lost his wife and his job within the space of three years, has found employment through a Star reader. Bill, who was facing personal bankruptcy and the bleakest Christmas of his life, will now be able to keep the family home and make a new life for his two sons, Andy, 9, and Jason, 7. Finally, thanks must go to the dozens of agencies that provide The Star with the names of needy children throughout Metro. These organizations, from private to government agencies, were under tremendous pressure this year but still took the time to provide case histories of needy families, which ran daily in The Star. To all concerned, a Merry Christmas and a large thank you. Target: $850,000 Collected: $909,787

Keywords/Storytype/Column/Series

Star Santa Claus fund

Toronto Star
Pubdate:December 24, 1991	Page: A1	Section:NEWS	Edition:HO2	Length:1101
35,000 children happier -- thanks to you
Byline/Source: By Al Sokol Toronto Star
That jubilant Christmas chorus you hear is 35,000 needy children in Metro saying "thank you" in unison to Star readers. In the worst of times since the Great Depression of the 1930s, readers set a record for generosity. The Star Santa Claus Fund went beyond its ambitious goal of $850,000, reaching more than $909,000 as of yesterday. Donations are still coming in, ensuring a running start for the Christmas '92 campaign when, it is hoped, there will be marked relief from the devastating recession that saw almost 300,000 Metro residents relying on some form of welfare this month. By reaching the highest total in the 85-year history of the Santa Claus Fund, readers have made it possible for 35,000 kids, who would likely have gone without a Christmas gift tomorrow, to experience some joy during these bleak times. The fund does not resolve the oppressive problems of poverty and unemployment in Metro Toronto. But it does give thousands of children, who would otherwise have been disappointed, a reason to believe in Santa Claus. Each child will receive a Star gift package by tomorrow with his or her name on the brightly decorated box. Children 12 and under will receive warm, winter clothing - in their sizes - some candy and a small toy. Youngsters 13 and 14 will get a certificate so they can choose their own gifts. The Star absorbs the administrative costs of the Santa Fund but it takes an army of volunteers to make certain the 35,000 gift boxes arrive at the homes of the needy children by Christmas day. Some volunteers give up their vacation to work on the distribution of the Christmas boxes while others are active retirees. They insist they're getting as much as they're giving, but not according to The Star's Rose Cudney, who oversees the Santa Claus Fund program. "Without the volunteers we couldn't get the boxes to the children," said Cudney, adding most families getting gifts don't have cars. "The delivery of the boxes is essential to the success of the Santa Claus Fund." The boxes are put together and dropped off at various centres in Metro by Star employees. The volunteers must then sort them for delivery and take them to the homes of people who have applied for gift boxes on behalf of their children. Boy scout groups deliver boxes in the downtown core and learn valuable lessons in the process, noted one of the co-ordinators, Robbie Engel. They discover that many people in the community are not as fortunate as they are, said Engel. Donations came from every source, young and old, poor and wealthy and everyone in between. The $850,000 looked overly ambitious, given the harsh economic times, but Terry Taggart, the newspaper's public relations manager, was optimistic right from the start. "These are tough times and the need has never been greater, but I have faith in our readers," said Taggart. "This is a big city with a big heart; our readers have never let us down." Donations also came in from communities, big and small, throughout Ontario. Most contributors outside Metro were people who recalled receiving Star gift boxes as children during difficult times and now were in a position to repay old favors. One Burlington resident wrote that she was one of six children living in Toronto who were deserted by their father, abused by a drunken mother and eventually raised by a widowed grandmother. "I will never forget the Star boxes that arrived each Christmas day," she wrote. "Few people will understand how important those boxes were to us. It meant someone we didn't even know cared about us." All the children, she said, became productive adults, never to require welfare again. A brother, the woman noted with pride, went on to become a physician. There were projects and initiatives that merit special attention. Once again the 680 students at Islington Junior Middle School in Etobicoke collected pennies for the fund - about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of copper. After two weeks of rolling, they borrowed the kindergarten wagons to haul the money to the bank. Guidance counsellor Bonnie Panacci announced a grand total of $1,526 had been raised, well ahead of last year's donation of $1,256. The 25 partners in the Toronto office of Arthur Andersen & Co., an international firm of chartered accountants, shared their "strong earnings" this year by contributing $20,000 to the Santa Claus Fund, the largest corporate donation. Local 27 of the Carpenters & Allied Workers union sent a cheque for almost $600 to the fund, noting that, "although jobs are at an all-time low in construction and the outlook does not look good for the future, no recession should be allowed to take Santa out of Christmas for needy children." The Star's Christmas Carol concerts at St. Paul's Church on Bloor St. E. have become a Yuletide tradition for thousands in southern Ontario and a major source of revenue for the Santa Fund. Some 6,000 patrons packed the church for the two concerts earlier this month to hear choirs from St. Paul's, St. James and St. Simon's churches with a combined total of more than 150 voices. There were also performances from the Canadian Salvation Army Staff Band as well as a special appearance by the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. This year, $20,241 was collected from the concerts and donated to the Santa Claus Fund, some $3,000 more than in 1990. Once again, the thousands of Star readers who donated $10, $25 and $50 were the backbone of the fund. There were also a number of readers who offered to open their homes to needy families over Christmas - and one widower received three job offers. Because The Star honors the confidentiality of all fund recipients, the offers were forwarded to the appropriate agencies. We can report that Bill G., a former sales executive who lost his wife and his job within the space of three years, has found employment through a Star reader. Bill, who was facing personal bankruptcy and the bleakest Christmas of his life, will now be able to keep the family home and make a new life for his two sons, Andy, 9, and Jason, 7. Finally, thanks must go to the dozens of agencies that provide The Star with the names of needy children throughout Metro. These organizations, from private to government agencies, were under tremendous pressure this year but still took the time to provide case histories of needy families, which ran daily in The Star. To all concerned, a Merry Christmas and a large thank you. Target: $850,000 Collected: $909,787
Keywords/Storytype/Column/Series	Star Santa Claus fund