Richard Denny sounded pretty upbeat when I called him on a freezing Saturday morning, far earlier than I like to be up. This is probably a large part of why his personal project to make the city a little friendlier for Christmas is so successful. He is a cheery guy with a huge heart and a knack for bringing people together to make an important difference. This year, along with the help of the fine establishment Money-Pennies, Denny will be pulling off the 11th annual Toys For Tots. The event will happen on Sunday, December 17th from 3 in the afternoon until 7 in the evening.
Inspired by a similar project he was involved in while living in Toronto, Denny created Toys for Tots in 1994, when he first moved to Calgary. Originally it was held at Denny’s home and guests included his friends, around fifty people, all there to show support for kids in Calgary. Since then it had grown and the expansion made it necessary for Denny to find a new location. This will be its fifth year at Money-Pennies, where Denny tells me enthusiastically that the turnout has been phenomenal. He says that the support from the community has been amazing for him to see. Last year there were around 150 guests in attendance, a number that has given Denny a lot of encouragement with this project.
So, how do you get in on the Toys For Tots celebration? It’s quite obvious: bring a toy! Deny says that many of the people who attend will bring three or four unwrapped toys because, while shopping, they get so excited that they just can’t help themselves. He understands this impulse having started the whole thing; it is so rewarding to try and make Calgary a better, happier place for low-income families and their children. He understands that Christmas is not always a cheerful holiday when parents are having a hard time making ends meet, so the donations go to some very prominent community organizations working with lower-income families. Last year they collected donated toys with an estimated value of ten-thousand dollars, which were passed on to the Awo Taan Native Women’s Shelter and the Children’s Cottage. These donations are accompanied by food hampers that Money-Pennies puts together.
While the turnout is amazing and it is always fun to go to such lovely beneficial shin-digs, yours truly knows what a hectic schedule one can have, especially during December. Should you want to contribute but you simply don’t have the time to come out (tee hee, bad pun) then you are welcome to drop-off any donations at Money-Pennies prior to the 17th as all the deliveries will be made on the 18th. Should you find yourself unable to find time to get to a toy store before then but you still want to contribute, Denny let me know that they also accept cash donations. These cash donations can also be brought in lieu of a toy to the actual celebration itself.
Toys for Tots
Held at Money-Pennies
1742 – 10th Avenue S.W.
Phone: (403) 263-7411

Awo Taan Native Women’s Shelter
www.awotaan.org

Calgary Children’s Cottage
Phone: (403) 233-2273