Having the proper gear in a backpack can be a lifesaver. This holiday season students at John Paul II Collegiate in Okotoks have filled more than 250 backpacks to help foothills families this Christmas.
Students from John Paul II Collegiate (JPII) marched into the school’s gymnasium with approximately 256 backpacks on Thursday filled with TLC and various goods for the Christmas season. The backpacks will be distributed to families in need through the Magic of Christmas program.
Nicholas Peloso was one of the students who bought and stuffed backpacks for the program.
“We are helping people out who don’t really have a lot and I am happy to be a part of it,” Peloso said. “If everybody bought just a little bit, it makes for a lot of backpacks to help people.”
The backpacks were filled for specific groups. Adults would receive things many of the JPII students would take for granted, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, winter gear like scarves and mittens and other materials.
The JPII students didn’t forget while children also need some basic goods, they also deserve a bit more for Christmas.
The backpacks designated for children also included toys and candy to go with the other necessities.
Many of the backpacks had one of the 42 scarves knitted by Susan Murphy, a mother of two students at JPII.
“We were so touched and moved by just giving people bare necessities and a little gift in a backpack that our family wants to contribute,” Murphy said. “Our children use their own money to buy the things.”
Her son Sean dipped into his savings and spent $60 on this year’s backpack campaign.
As for Susan, she is already thinking of Christmas 2012.
“I started working on my first scarf for next year last night,” she said.
Foothills Magic of Christmas representatives Kelly Bailie was fighting back tears when the students marched in with the backpacks.
She told the students the backpacks will be distributed to families throughout the foothills, including Longview, High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley as well as Okotoks.
“They really are a treasure to the people who receive them,” she told the students.
The campaign was organized by the school’s religion coordinator Stacey MacNeil. MacNeil told the students a touching story about her own experience with a backpack, details of which will be featured in the Wheel’s Christmas greetings supplement next week.
The majority of the backpacks’ supplies were purchased in the Okotoks community. Several of the businesses donated generously to help the campaign.
There were some leftover supplies, which have been donated to emergency women’s shelters and facilities for the homeless.
The backpack program was started several years ago by Donna-Rae and Gordon Campbell of Millarville. When the program became too overwhelming JPII volunteered to take over the program and it’s continued to grow every year.
Last year, there were approximately 150 backpacks donated through the Magic Christmas program. It’s estimated when further backpacks are donated from Notre Dame Collegiate in High River the number will surpass 300 this Christmas season.
