It’s a family affair for those giving and receiving at Christmas. The volunteer army behind The Magic of Christmas often share more than a sincere desire to brighten up the lives of families in the Foothills in common. “It’s been me, my mom, my sister and our children that have often been on the bus since they were quite little,” said volunteer Jen Weisgerber. “I’ve gotten more involved in the past five years. It’s a little bit hectic at Christmas time, but it’s been really good.” Mom, The Magic of Christmas’ Angie Steciw, has been involved with the charity for most of its 19 years since it was founded in the basement of the St. Michael’s Church in Black Diamond. “There were members of our church that were involved and I got involved that way,” Steciw said. “Jen, my daughter came on board quite a few years ago and I’ve been so grateful.” It’s a similar entry point for many of the volunteers behind the charity. Once someone feels the spirit of giving it’s contagious. The Magic of Christmas, one of the 10 charities benefiting from the Western Wheel Cares campaign, collects and wraps gifts and delivers them to families who are enduring a challenging time in their lives and have been referred to the program. The referrals come from friends, schools, caregivers, family doctors, church groups and the Family Resource Centre. “We go around and we bring presents and joy to families that are experiencing a not so great Christmas,” Steciw said. “Sometimes it’s not financial, but many times it is. It can be for illness or any other sorrow that might be in a family’s life at that point.” Everything is funded by the community with Wheel Cares serving as a major fundraiser for the charity. “We’re so grateful to Western Wheel Cares,” Steciw said. “The support we get from them, without that help things wouldn’t be quite as generous as they are.” This year close to 90 volunteers packed six buses, donated by Southland Transportation, filled with Santa and his elves and delivered the gifts to over 140 families in Okotoks, Black Diamond and High River on Dec. 15. In addition, they visit families in area campgrounds and a group visits seniors in nursing homes, Rowan House and Narrow Road Home on behalf of the Magic of Christmas. It takes a village to put together the annual gift delivery day. Sheep River Storage allowed for the gifts to be stored while the St. James Church offered up its hall space for the gift-wrapping en masse. “This year we probably had 50 or 60 volunteers, with just wrapping alone it’s between 30 and 40,” said Weisgerber, who organizes the buses and wrapping of gifts. “At the start of my wrapping schedules I had a woman come in, I’m not sure how many years she’s been donating to the Magic of Christmas, she came in with four boxes of toys, a substantial amount of gift cards. “There’s a family that’s been quite a big part of Magic for a number of years, she’s a friend of my daughter’s and she said this is her favourite day of the year, when she gets to wrap for Magic of Christmas.” Other charities in this year’s Wheel Cares campaign are Foothills Country Hospice, Foothills SNAPS, Sheep River Health Trust, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, Okotoks Food Bank, Rowan House Emergency Shelter, Habitat for Humanity Foothills, St. Vincent de Paul and Okotoks Pound Rescue. Donations to the Wheel Cares Campaign can be made via credit card, debit, cash or cheque (payable to Western Wheel Cares) at #9 McRae Street, mailed to Box 150 Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2 (please do not mail cash) or by calling 403-938-6397. Visit www.westernwheel.com to donate using Paypal. Donations of $10 or more will receive a 2018 official tax receipt at the end of the campaign. For more information call the Western Wheel office Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 403-938-6397.
