Calgary Firefighters Toy Association's 58th annual Children's Christmas Party supports 1,600 families

Members of Calgary’s bravest were helping spread holiday cheer in the community on Sunday, through the 58th annual Children’s Christmas Party to support families in need.

Calgary Fire Department assistant deputy chief of operations, Tom Jukes, said this year’s annual event is hosted through the Calgary Firefighters Association and takes place at the TELUS Convention Centre.

Looking back, the history of the Christmas Party goes back several decades.

“It started in 1945 out of Old Fire Station 3 when one of our firefighters started taking on old toys, repairing them and handing them out to children in need,” Jukes said. “In 1967, we started having an actual Christmas party where the kids were able to come and experience some interaction with firefighters and different people in the community and receive a gift, and that’s where we are today.

“So since 1967, we’ve been having the annual Calgary Firefighters Toy Association Christmas Party.”

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Calgary firefighters work closely with school boards in Calgary and the Salvation Army to identify less fortunate individuals in the community, and those who are most likely not to get a gift or celebrate Christmas.

Through the party, guests have the opportunity to partake in the season’s festivities and also receive a gift that’s been donated.

“We’ll be handing out between 4,000 to 5,000 gifts this year, seeing a lot of families in need — over 1,600 — they get to receive a gift, and then they get a chance to meet with Santa,” he said. “And of course, throughout the day, get to interact with various firefighters and volunteers that are all connected with the Calgary Fire Department.”

Firefighters enjoy giving back to the community

For the Calgary firefighters, Jukes said it means more than a ton for their frontline staff to interact with Calgarians from all walks of life.

“But unfortunately, we know there’s lots of people in our community that are in need and that times are tight, so it’s a great interaction for our members to be able to give back to the community and be impactful in a way outside of an emergency event to bring some joy to both children, but also some relief to parents,” he said. “At this time of year, work can be quite hard for people. And for our folks, it gives a lot of closure, and it’s just a great opportunity to give back and really make an impactful difference to those that are less fortunate.”

From his role, Jukes said it is always nice to attend and to see the smiles on kids’ faces.

“And (it’s) really a chance for our folks to interact and really build trust within the community, but also give back in a way that’s a bit different,” he said. “And again, we see so many families come through that are less fortunate, and the fact that we’re able to give back and put some smiles on some faces and some relief to parents is unbelievable.”

After seeing the first wave of families enter this year’s party, he said that it was worth all the work by everyone involved.

“The very first kid that I saw walk in there had an ear-to-ear grin and just went ‘wow, amazing,’ and being able to see those types of reactions, and just knowing you’re doing something that’s going to stick with a kid for a long time, a memory that they’ll always cherish is so impactful,” Jukes said. “And being able to be part of that is something we all take pride and we’re grateful that we’re able to do this for the community.”

CFD thanks Calgarians: ‘We rely on the community support’

As soon as this year’s party ends, Jukes said the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association starts planning next year’s event the day after.

“The group’s relentless, and they don’t take breaks,” he said. “We’ve got great members and family of members that come and sponsor and help us out every single year at the event, and we’ve got lots of great local sponsors that we pair up with. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re currently doing.”

Ultimately, Jukes said the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association thanks Calgarians and their unwavering generosity for keeping the holiday tradition alive.

“We rely on the community support that Calgarians are so generous, both donating gifts or monetary donations, and that’s how we keep this party and the Toy Association alive,” he said. “It takes a lot of money, as well as a lot of efforts to be able to purchase the number of toys that we have. As a result, we’re able to run an event like this.”