‘I felt like I was important’: Batshaw tradition spreads holiday cheer one gift at a time

The Batshaw Youth and Family Centre’s annual Secret Santa toy drive is underway, with thousands of toys lining the shelves of the organization’s storage room.

Social workers will be picking up the gifts and distributing them to the children under their supervision within the foster care system.

The annual tradition was started 34 years ago, by Batshaw employee Frank Campanile.

“We started with 14 kids,” Campanile said.

While Campanile normally works in the archives, once a year he becomes Santa Frank.

This year, Santa Frank and his helpers will be distributing presents to around 1,400 kids, including children who might not be under the care of youth protection but live with kids in the system.

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Irene Sudds, who has been collecting and donating gifts to Batshaw for three years, says the kids really don’t ask for much.

“One kid asked for a gift card for Scores, so he could take his mom out to dinner,” she said, “and we had another child who asked for pajamas for his little brother.”

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While Santa Frank doesn’t get to see the kids receiving their gifts, he does hear their stories.

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Destiny Gregoire, now a 20-year-old social work student at Dawson College, used to be in foster care — until she aged out, that is.

She remembers one Christmas when she was about six years old, receiving a stuffed Dalmation puppy.

“When I saw it I was so happy,” she said. “It was one of my favourite toys and I carried it all around the house, I played with it, I slept with it in my bed and I brought it to the park. It was one of my best friends.”

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But what Gregoire cherishes the most is how the gifts made her feel.

“It’s something I always looked forward to because I felt like I was important,” she recalled.

“I liked reading the card and being wished merry Christmas or happy holidays and just feeling like I mattered.”

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The whole operation is a lot of work, but well worth the effort — and not just for the kids.

“I’m doing good, I feel good,” Santa Frank said. “It’s great to give and I think it’s a great thing.”