Santas Anonymous
CLICK HERE • SANTAS EVENTS 2009
CLICK HERE • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
"Helping children and families in need… no matter what the need."
Santas Anonymous Society is now celebrating 32 years of helping children in Greater Victoria. It is Victoria’s longest running children’s charity. A twelve member volunteer board oversees the running of the society and the distribution of funds. The board endeavors to make the Christmas "spirit of giving” continue throughout the year by making special grants available to projects dedicated to enhancing the lives of children in need.
Administration:
Administrator, Dusty Cunningham, oversees the volunteer involvements and fundraising activities throughout the year. Over 250 volunteers contribute their time and energy, especially at Christmas, which is the busiest time of the year for the Society’s major activities. However, other activities take place throughout the year to support our special grants programme.
Support for administering Santas Office is donated by C-FAX 1070 now owned by CTVglobemedia Inc.
Christmas Activities:
Food Hamper Program
The Society raises funds through general donations and special events, including the annual “Miracle on Broad Street Radiothon sponsored by Thrifty Foods. Funds from this event are used to purchase foodstuffs for hampers that are distributed to designate families throughout the Capital Region District. Just before Christmas, volunteers pack around 1,070 hampers (one week of groceries) ready for self-pickup or delivery by volunteer firefighters. The contents of the hampers have been determined with Christmas and nutrition in mind.
“Santas” purchases food at favorable prices at an average annual cost of $95,000.00 to $100,000.00.
A donated Warehouse (“Santas Workshop”) is utilized for this food program. Santas is once again seeking donated space of 15,000 sq. ft.
C-FAX Santas Anonymous also donates food in response to requests and needs from organizations such as the Upper Room, The Open Door, Salvation Army and the Western Communities Food Bank.
Toys, Games & Gifts Program
This is the single largest activity of C-FAX Santas Anonymous. Between 3,000 and 3,500 children receive two presents each, donated anonymously by C-FAX 1070 listeners and shoppers at local malls. The presents match requests from the children themselves. (Names are provided through the Christmas Bureau).
Each fall, children from Greater Victoria schools colour paper bears, which are hung on Christmas Trees in all major Greater Victoria Malls, including Mayfair Mall, Hillside Centre, Westshore Town Centre and Tillicum Mall (Zeller’s location). Selected Royal Banks are also involved in distribution of bears.
Printed on the back of the bears are children’s names (coded for privacy) with the name of the requested gift. Shoppers pick a bear, register with the volunteer and later return with the purchased toy or gift. All gifts are taken to the C-FAX Santas Anonymous Workshop for wrapping. This section of the workshop is a hive of activity as volunteers wrap and prepare packages for distribution to the children in time for Christmas morning.
We estimate an average cost of $40.00 per gift for a total value of over $250,000.00 in donated toys and gifts.
Again, “Santas” turns over any excess of toys, games and gifts to needy and worthy organizations throughout the community.
Special Fundraising Projects
Continuing “the spirit of giving” throughout the year, many organizations, service groups, corporate associations and businesses help to fundraise beyond the Christmas season. Thanks to C-FAX 1070, Santas Anonymous can publicize, advertise and promote these events and, in turn, encourage corporations to provide funds, which help to make these events possible.
Some special fundraising projects include the Out of Hand Craft Fair, Victoria 8 Ball Association, Sunday’s Snowflakes Annual Fashion Show, BCRFA Restaurant Gift Auction and Phantom Dinner. The Annual Victoria Remote Control Air Show, The Firefighter’s Annual Merryrun, Air Canada Jazz, Spirit of Santa Flights plus many businesses hold their own events within their offices to lend support to our organization. For example, DFH Realty donated $50.00 per listing November through January-this is partially matched by TD Canada Trust and Megson Fitzpatrick.
Part of the funds collected from these activities is available for “Special Project” giving by C-FAX Santas Anonymous Board, chaired by Don Monsour reviews important projects and examines requests.
The “Special Project” first and foremost benefits children and youth under 18.
Successful Giving Grants 2007-2008
Octa Collective Society: $20,000.00. This grant supported a children’s Arts Reach project for disadvantaged children. The opening of the project was attended by Mel and Carmel Cooper and the Administrator.
Arts Reach delivers visual and theatre arts workshops at no charge to public and elementary schools in the capital region, focusing on schools with a high population of children from lower- income families. Workshops are taught by artists and actors and all materials are provided.
Queen Alexandra Foundation: $25,000.00. The grant provided for a wonderful comfort “Safe Room” for children with behavioral disorders - a place to “chill-out”.
Oaklands School: $35,000.00. When the playground at Oaklands School was vandalized there was dismay throughout the community. Santas provided a special gift to the school in December 2007.
Victor School: $4,500.00. The Victor School believes that “students will reach their individual potential and become active participants in the whole of life”. This grant provided musical instruments suitable for the children to participate in music through the assistance of teachers and a music therapist.
Youth Empowerment Society: $25,000.00. This grant was to help towards the opening of a new facility for youth at risk to train for the hospitality industry. The facility will also accommodate Youth while in training. The facility was officially opened in May.
Central Middle School: $13,313.00. This grant was to extend the play area at Central Middle School with some seating areas with special needs and wheelchair accessibility in mind. Parents had been fundraising for five years and raised $38,000.00 with which they purchased some new play apparatus (Phase one) had been purchased. “The reality is that many families are profoundly affected by poverty and it is unrealistic to expect that significant financial support could be gathered from these families”. The donation for our charity will complete phase two.
Help fill a Dream Foundation: $2,500.00. A designated donation to send Jeneece Edroff for a therapeutic swim “with the dolphins” Jeneece has undergone many surgeries the last one being in December. This year Jeneece completed her goal of raising one million dollars in pennies for the Variety Club to help other children in need. To quote the Edroff family “your part in our trip to Florida was so very much needed for us to revive after the surgeries. The smile that Jeneece had on her face while swimming with Squirt says it all. No words can express what your swim did for Jeneece. We thank you for making this trip so awesome. Sincerely, the Edroff Family.”
We are blessed with the help of the family for our Marathon Pledge Program. Jeneece is our Ambassador. To help Jeneece help C-FAX Santas Anonymous call (250) 920-4644 and sign–up to collect pledges or donate “on line” to C-FAX Santas Anonymous through canadahelps.org
Finally, in this year of giving we donated $1,000.00 to Angel Flights. This was a matching grant with Royal Bank Employees. Angel Flights is a volunteer organization whose members provide emergency flights to hospitals. Santas donation was designated to help children. Special Grants for 2007-2008 approved by C-FAX Santas Anonymous Board amounted to $126,313.00. C-FAX Santas Anonymous also sponsored Burnside Children’s Christmas Party and our first party for special needs children. Our workshop received and distributed over eight thousand toys and packed over 1070 hampers for distribution to families in need.
Santas Anonymous Board 2009:
Alan Brown - President
Kevin Bell - 1st VP
Rob Kivell - 2nd VP
Cathy Cox - Treasurer
Maureen Quested - Secretary
Joe Easingwood
Al Ferraby
Wendy Graham
Chris Coleman
Bruce Williams
Mel Cooper
Don Monsour - Past President
To donate to Santas Anonymous, please make cheques payable to:
C-FAX Santas Anonymous
1420 Broad St.
Victoria, BC
V8W 2B1
If you would like more information about our society or a presentation to your group please call our administrator, Dusty Cunningham 250.920.4644
Or email cfax.santas@chumradio.com
