Calgary Firefighters Toy Association
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Mission Statement
The Calgary Firefighters Toy Association aims to bring the spirit of Christmas to those that may not otherwise be able to celebrate due to financial hardship.
About This Cause
The Calgary Firefighters Toy Association is a registered charity that serves the citizens of Calgary. Our goal is to help disenfranchised and underprivilidged children age 12 & under enjoy the Holiday Season. We do this by providing them and their immediate families with a holiday event that includes entertainment, food, interactive activites, a gift, and a visit with Santa Claus. We rely on donations from the public to help facilitate this as the financial outlay is significant, most of which goes towards buying toys for the invitees. We have a long and storied history in Calgary with a legacy spanning 75 years. The late Howard Williams, a firefighter at old #3 Fire Station in East Calgary, began repairing old used toys back in 1945. He realized the need to provide toys to children who were going to have a bleak Christmas. The idea blossomed into a success story. In the next few years, the reconditioning toy project expanded to all Calgary fire halls. Firefighters worked long hours sorting toys, stripping paint, removing rust, fixing squeaks, and re-painting all the different types of toys being donated. In 1967 a bold new plan of hosting the largest Christmas party in Canada was presented to the firefighter membership. A meeting between the Stampede Board and the firefighters soon secured the Stampede Corral for the Sunday before Christmas. A huge cash outlay was required and Calgary Firefighters responded with individual donations and a payday lottery within the department which to date still funds the vast majority of the Toy Association’s Christmas Party. Christmas trees with lights and a huge family room set were used to decorate the floor of the Corral. Firefighter “clowns’, mascots, the Calgary Fire Department “Cappy Smart” Band, dignitaries, and an appearance by Santa himself completed the party. Our toy campaign now includes newly purchased toys only. Hundreds of fire personnel, retired firefighters, and civilians volunteer to wrap the gifts and host the party for those less fortunate. Approximately 1500 families will receive invitations primarily through the two Calgary school boards and trusted charity organizations. This means that roughly 4000-4500 toys are required, the cost of which is sponsored in large part by the generosity of the Calgary Fire Department personnel and our valued sponsors & donors. Moving forward, there are changes afoot for the Toy Association. With the Stampede tearing down the Corral in 2020, we need a new base to continue our legacy. We will now call the Telus Convention Centre home for the foreseeable future and look forward to the new opportunities that will follow. This is an exciting time for the Toy Association as we step forward into a new era of giving but we need your help to do so. Demand for our assistance is at an all-time high and in order to meet that demand, we must expand our capacity. This is why we are calling upon new donors to help ensure we can assist as many families as possible.