Christmas party thrown by Calgary Firefighters Toy Association draws thousands of kids [Video]

The Calgary Firefighters Toy Association threw a Christmas party Sunday afternoon for about 4,000 kids at the Telus Convention Centre.

For Farrah Hart and her four-year-old daughter Bria, it was a party to remember.

“It’s our first time,” Farrah said. “(Seeing) Santa, face-painting, the performers – it’s just super-fun.

“Honestly I’m a single parent,” Hart added, “so I had a really great time here with my daughter. We were looking forward to this all year.”

Calgary Firefighters have been gathering toys and giving them to kids in need since the 1940s, said Mark Hagel, president of the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association.

“We’re just carrying on legacy started in 1945 by Howard Williams,” Hagel said. “He started fixing broken toys and hand-delivering them – and we’re just kind of expanded on that.”

Mark Hagel, the president of the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association, at the organization’s annual Christmas Party Sunday, Dec.22, 2024.

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