Giving the gift of Christmas in Vaughan

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 5, 2016
By Maurizio Bevilacqua

With the holidays fast approaching, the City of Vaughan is continuing its tradition of giving back to families in need.

We are fortunate to live in a place where the spirit of generosity, understanding and optimism combine to provide a quality of life that is second to none. We have a responsibility to make tomorrow better than today and, collectively, to give the gift of hope to those who are less fortunate.

That is why each year we support the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish - a program that benefits hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Toronto Area, including Vaughan.

Vaughan is one of the largest donors of toys and financial support to this initiative. We have collected tens of thousands of toys and given more than $25,000 through the Mayor’s Gala and Mayor’s Annual Charity Golf Classic in the past seven years that have gone to children in our community and beyond.

This is all thanks to you - the people who live here, work here and contribute to our city.

The holiday season is about bringing joy and hope to people’s lives. We started this toy drive because our community is compassionate and truly understands what it means to help our neighbours. Our citizens are deeply committed to assisting others who, through no fault of their own, may have fallen behind.

With a goal of collecting 10,000 toys, the city partnered with St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Elementary School to officially launch this year’s campaign Nov. 21.

I encourage local schools, residents and businesses to participate by dropping off new, unwrapped toys for children aged newborn to 18 years at Vaughan community centres, libraries, fire stations and the city’s Joint Operations Centre at 2800 Rutherford Rd. until Dec. 9. Toys also can be dropped off at Vaughan City Hall until Dec. 12 at noon.

Donating a toy may seem like a simple act, but the happiness it can bring to a child in need will have a lasting impact on their life, and that’s really what it is all about.

No one should ever be excluded, forgotten or made to feel that they are alone - especially at this time of the year.

By working together, we are bringing positive change to so many people’s lives and providing kids a gift they will always remember.

Together, we are continuing our mission to help give every child a gift on Christmas.