Staff and students at a junior high school are gearing up for their busiest week of the year. St. John Paul II Collegiate has run its annual Backpack Campaign for the past 14 years, a tradition that began with the Campbell family years ago until the operation outgrew their Millarville home and the school took over the project. Teacher Stacey MacNeil said working with the Backpack Campaign over the years has rejuvenated the spirit of the season for her. “I think there’s a certain time as an adult that the magic of Christmas starts to go away, that it’s not as magical as it was, and you kind of get away from that,” said MacNeil. “So to be there for people and the needs of our community and to see the pressure you take off and how much they appreciate what other people do, that is Christmas and it is a really magical time to help others.” It’s had an impact on students over the last decade and a half as well, she said. Many Holy Trinity Academy students return to their alma mater in December to help sort items and fill backpacks for those in need. There are 45 SJPII students helping out this year, and plenty of families and high school students volunteering their time to get everything packed up by Dec. 13, she said. “They love it,” said MacNeil. “We have kids from high school asking when we’re packing backpacks, what week it is, they want to know. It’s instilled in their hearts that December means it’s backpack time.” The backpacks are delivered with the Magic of Christmas on Dec. 15, though the Backpack Campaign is run independently through the school, she said. They are given to those in need in Okotoks, Black Diamond, Turner Valley and High River. Last year, the campaign put together 524 backpacks, each filled with about $100 worth of basic necessities like shampoo and conditioner, shaving gel and other toiletries, socks, blankets, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products and other necessities, as well as gift cards. This year the number of backpacks will be close to 550, she said. “They go to recipients in our community who are either having a tough time because of financial reasons, who are vulnerable members of our society, or those people who just really need a little bit of magic at this time of year because they don’t get it from other places,” said MacNeil. The campaign relies on donations from students and families at SJPII as well as other schools in the CTR Catholic community and the general public, she said. Most-needed items for the campaign include hand sanitizer, shave gel, blankets, books and backpacks, she said. Cash donations are always welcomed, or gift cards for places like Dollar Tree, so MacNeil can shop for items required to fill any gaps. They can never have too much, she said. “Sometimes even after we’ve packed up the backpacks and people bring items, we’ll go back and stuff them in,” said MacNeil. “It always works out.” This year, MacNeil had the opportunity to connect personally with one of the recipients of the Magic of Christmas, who lives in High River. The single, out-of-work father was overwhelmed and brought to tears on the phone, she said. He told her the amount of pressure on a dad who has lost his job is relieved by charitable groups like these, and the knowledge that someone out there is thinking of him and his children gave him hope. “I think that’s the spirit of the Backpack Campaign, is that someone is thinking of me and my needs, that I’m completely unaware of, that there’s that support of the community that sometimes we don’t think about or we forget that’s there,” said MacNeil. Vice-principal Jen Quinlan said planning for the campaign has changed over the years. When it first began, backpacks were filled based on how many donations came in, and sometimes not everyone who needed a bag received one. “We can pack to numbers now,” said Quinlan. “Through the Magic of Christmas now they can let us know we need this many adult males in Black Diamond, so we can pack to the exact number so nobody gets missed.” It takes a lot of work to get 550 backpacks ready to be delivered, she said. As items come in things like shampoo, shaving cream, liquid soap and lotions have to be taped closed to prevent messes in the bags. Items are sorted into bins to make packing easier, and students spend time after school putting together the backpacks, she said. It means a lot to see how much students love the project, she said. “The joy and the pleasure it is to be with the kids and they pack the backpacks, and knowing how much it means to them and knowing they understand they are being selfless and they’re helping others, is really great,” said Quinlan. A camaraderie develops between students and staff as they work together to fill the bags, she said. Everyone shares in the joy that comes from helping others, she said. “This is our Christmas,” said Quinlan. “It’s not about receiving, it’s about giving.” Donations for the Backpack Campaign can be dropped off at the front office of SJPII until Dec. 11.
