‘The Magic of Christmas’ launches annual campaign [Video]

The chestnuts aren’t roasting on the open fire quite yet, but a Calgary-based charity is already preparing to spread Christmas cheer this holiday season.

The Magic of Christmas held its 2024 charity gala on Saturday night to raise money to fund the annual initiative, which sees transit buses filled with gifts to be delivered to Calgarians in need.

“So many people are going through a tough time at Christmas, and Christmas is a hard one because everyone’s supposed to be having a good time and but if you can’t, that’s a really tough thing,” Scott Perley, the president of The Magic of Christmas, said Saturday.

“And to have somebody come and visit you and just kind of spread some cheer, it helps immensely.”

The charity, celebrating its 40th year in the Calgary community, has around 1,500 volunteers helping out each year.

The organization says it delivered gifts to more than …