The team behind the Town’s Christmas Bureau once again made Christmas Day a delight for a number of local families.
The number of families served and number of presents given out were not given to press, but Christmas Bureau coordinator GiselleCampbell said there was definitely a big increase in numbers this year.
Different events such as the check stop on 47th Avenue were hosted prior to Christmas to bring in support for the bureau. This event gave the community the opportunity to show their support.
Campbell said the community support was phenomenal as people just kept giving.
The support even went as far as people donating specific toys that were requested.
“It’s just incredible how we put the word out that we’re looking for something specific and we have somebody show up with it,”Campbell said. “We have lots of people who want children to wake up with smiles on Christmas morning.”
The most commonly asked for gifts were the Holiday Barbie and PAW Patrol toys.
In the previous year the most commonly requested gift were Frozen toys and other items that could be hard to find.
Many children still tend to ask for Lego also and it always seems to be in stock.
Parents received the unwrapped gifts along with wrapping materials, enabling them to know exactly what their child was gettingChristmas morning.
“We don’t wrap them, we give them wrapping paper, so parents are knowledgeable about what they are going to give their kidsChristmas morning,” Campbell said.
Upon receiving the gifts for their children, Campbell said her and her team got a lot of hugs and thank you’s adding they see mantras.
“It continues,” Campbell said. “Even this morning I saw a mom and she walked over and gave me a hug and said ‘Thank you, you made our Christmas’. I said ‘It’s not me. We have a whole team of people and a whole community that does this’.”
Campbell emphasized there thanks to the community in giving and everybody pitching in where there was a need adding the success of the Bureau this season was largely made by possible by the incredible generosity of Sylvan Lake residents.
To help out with the increase in need there were a few more team members on board this year. This helped out with the work load,making it a bit lighter for everyone else.
With the community having donated both toys and money, the Bureau is able to mark another success this year. Not only did Lakers donate enough to make Christmas morning special for every little boy and girl this year - there are also a number of toys left over for next year, which Campbell adds will be a big help next year.
“If we can meet the needs of the parents and children that require our service, every year is successful,” Campbell said.
reporter@sylvanlakenews.com