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The Morning of Giving returns this Wednesday after a two-year hiatus with many anticipating a big turnout from Calgarians. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual charity event was put on hold, and the Month of Giving wasn’t reintroduced until it was safe to gather once again.
Returning for 2022 will be Global News Morning’s Leslie Horton, who said while it will be a bit scaled-down compared to previous years–due to easing back into life after a global pandemic–the morning will still pack a punch and leave people with their hearts full.
“People are ready for small interactions but not a big party and this year the need is so much bigger than ever because so many families have had a hard time this year,” Horton said.
“We feel it at the grocery store, we feel it at the gas pumps — all of us. So some families that were making it happen before are just not able to make it happen now.”
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The donation drive-through will kick off at 6 a.m. and run until 9 a.m. at the Global News Calgary studio located at 222 23 St. N.E.
New, unwrapped gifts for any age — from newborns up to seniors — will be accepted along with gift cards and cash that will go directly to Calgary families in need through the non-profit Magic of Christmas charity. Donated items can be anything from toys for the kids, to household items for the moms and dads to fuzzy socks for seniors.
If you’re not able to make it in the morning and still wish to contribute, money can also be donated through The Magic of Christmas’ website.
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The president of Magic of Christmas said the number of families on Santa’s list is up from the year before, with some families who get referred to them later on being put on a waiting list.
“This year, we were planning to visit 800 families,” Scott Perley said.
Perley added that help from Calgarians is “needed now more than ever” due to various factors of families not being able to provide for their loved ones during this time of year, with one being the rising cost of living.
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Being a volunteer-run charity, Perley said if you’re unable to give a physical donation such as a toy or money, the gift of time is also needed as they hope to not leave a family in the dark.
“The hardest thing is calling a family to say, ‘I’m sorry we’re not able to come this year,’ so we’ll be trying to do as many as we can,” Perley said.
Though most of the Christmas Eve morning volunteer shifts have been filled, Perley said there are still gaps in the afternoon timeslots along with the days that lead up to Christmas Eve that could use volunteers to help pack Santa’s bag.
To donate your time, Perley said to visit the Magic of Christmas website and they will do their best to slot you in where needed that fits within your schedule.
The charity has provided thousands of visits to homes in Calgary every Christmas Eve bringing presents and holiday cheer by thousands of volunteers over the past 39 years.
“It’s gratitude in action — people are very touched, there are lots of tears and smiles,” Horton added.
