‘Spread the joy:’ Around 1,600 families helped by Santas Anonymous this year

While Santa’s elves are hard at work building toys, some volunteers are hard at work in their own toy shop.

Parents will be milling around the mountain of toys at the Santas Anonymous collection centre until Friday at the Salvation Army Haven of Hope in Regina.

The toy donation program put on by 980 CJME and the Salvation Army has been going on for the past 55 years.

Kids have unwrapped more than 60,000 toys since the program first launched in 1969.

The program helps parents make sure there is a gift under the tree for their kids on Christmas Day.

Tim Fraser, lieutenant core officer with the Salvation Army Haven of Hope, said parents have around 12,000 gifts to choose from.

The final day for toy distribution is December 20. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

“We’ve got some extra toys so we can spread the joy around,” he said. “I anticipate to help approximately 1,600 families this year.”

He said the program wouldn’t exist without the incredible generosity of the community.

“It just shines right through everyone, through our volunteers, through our families, and through our staff,” he said. “It’s just a fantastic time to be a part of something like this.”

Read more:

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Toy collection for the program began in early November with the final day for distribution being on Friday.

Fraser said it’s great to be apart of a project that can give some relief to families struggling with affordability.

“It provides a sense of dignity back into the family’s lives at a time where they’re kind of feeling low,” Fraser said.

Since the program began in 1969, more than 60,000 toys have been donated to kids. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

Fraser said seeing parents walking out the doors with toys for their kids makes it all worth it.

“The credit goes to those who have stepped up and said ‘I want to support families.’” he said. “They provided toys, they provided financial means, so that way we can provide Christmas for these families (and) give hope back into their lives.”