Rocky View County (RVC) Fire Services is hosting its sixth annual toy drive in partnership with Calgary-based non-profit organization, he Magic of Christmas, in support of families who may be coping with emotional, physical, or financial hardships this holiday season.
As part of the campaign, RVC Fire Services will collect toy donations until Dec. 21 at various locations across the county, including RVC’s municipal building in Balzac and some of the County’s fire halls.
Other locations accepting donations include full-time fire stations in Elbow Valley (31040 Lott Creek Drive), Springbank (128 MacLaurin Drive), Bearspaw (31211 Lochend Place), and Balzac (291015 Rocky View Drive).
Justin Davidson, an RVC firefighter, coordinates the County’s involvement in the Magic of Christmas event. The annual toy drive doles out thousands of donated Christmas presents and useful items to kids throughout Calgary and the surrounding area.
“The biggest thing for us is giving back to the community, giving back to the children,” Davidson said.
He added the municipality has recently noticed “huge engagement” between the community and fire services thanks to the toy drive.
“As firefighters, we are part of the community. We want to be part of the community and we’ve just noticed working together for the greater good is good for everybody,” he said. “That’s what we’re really about at the end of the day.”
Originating in 1983, the Magic of Christmas is a Calgary-based charity that distributes donations on Christmas Eve to people who experience adversity, such as the death of a loved one, a lost job, or who are encountering a difficult medical diagnosis.
Every Dec. 24, according to themagicofchristmas.org, the charity’s hundreds of volunteers transform donated Calgary Transit buses into Santa’s reindeer as they bring holiday cheer and gifts to more than 4,500 people in hospitals, care homes, and other institutions.
“No matter the reason, we work hard to provide each person with festive loving, caring and sharing during a time of year that is supposed to be joyful,” read the organization’s website. “With the help of our volunteers, we ensure the spirit of Christmas spreads to everyone on Santa’s route.”
Davidson said the charity is asking for donations catered to youth under the age of 16, meaning they are requesting everything from unwrapped and newly purchased toys for young children to hygiene products for teenagers, to cash and gift card donations.
“The Magic of Christmas is an amazing organization and we’re honoured and humbled to be a part of it for the last six years,” he said. “[RVC] would really, from the bottom of our heart, like to thank everyone for their continued support for this year and the years’ past.
“It’s been amazing, and we hope this is a long relationship with The Magic of Christmas and with our community and residents.”
Like last year’s drive, the Magic of Christmas toy drive will also feature community events put on by RVC Fire Services. Firefighters from the Springbank station will attend a Christmas event at the Harmony Discovery Centre in the community of Harmony on Dec. 17.
“Residents will be collecting gifts on behalf of the firefighters for us to present to The Magic of Christmas,” Davidson said, adding firefighters will be in attendance to provide fire truck tours and more during the event.
For the first time, on Dec. 24, RVC firefighters are going to volunteer their time at The Magic of Christmas warehouse on Christmas Eve to assist in loading up the city buses to deliver all the collected gifts to children in need, according to Davidson.
“Firefighters are engaging with communities. We’re working together for greater good to help those in need,” he said, adding inflation and rising costs of goods mean people are in need a lot more than in previous years.
“Usually, the community is calling on the fire department when they need help, but now we’re really calling on the community to help us.”
