Editor’s note: Morning of Giving was a success on Dec. 7! Click here to view photos from the event.
The Morning of Giving returned Wednesday after a two-year hiatus and saw Calgarians donate $68,079 in cash for local charities along with 308 gifts for families in need.
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.
Global News Morning’s Leslie Horton returned to the event in 2022. Ahead of the event, she said it will be a bit scaled down compared to previous years because people are still easing back into life after COVID-19 restrictions. However, she said the morning would 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.”
The donation drive-thru kicked off at 6 a.m. and ran until 9 a.m. at the Global Calgary TV studio located at 222 23 St. N.E.
New, unwrapped gifts for any age — from newborns up to seniors — were accepted along with gift cards and cash that will go directly to Calgary families in need through the non-profit The Magic of Christmas charity. Donated items included anything from toys for the kids, to household items for the moms and dads to fuzzy socks for seniors.
Those who were not able to make it in the morning and still wanted to contribute were still able to make donations through The Magic of Christmas’ website.
‘Needed more than ever’: charity says demand is up
The president of The Magic of Christmas said the number of families on Santa’s list was 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 resulting in 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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With The Magic of Christmas being a volunteer-run charity, Perley said those unable to give a physical donation such as a toy or money could help by giving the gift of time.
“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 were 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 and where it 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 said.