Christmas Spirit Foundation blog

Holiday traditions aren’t limited to the typical festive activities, like hanging stockings or decorating a tree. There are many ways to incorporate important traditions into your annual celebrations— and each family is special for having their own.

For instance, in my family, one of our longest-running traditions is to go for a walk on Christmas Eve (to look for Santa’s sleigh and the Christmas star, of course).

For Carl Ingebertson, his long-standing tradition hinges on his gratitude for a childhood that he describes as “lucky”.

At the tender age of three, he and his two younger siblings were handed over by their parents to the Children’s Aid Society. Ingebertson was placed with a loving, caring foster family— but he knows this story goes very differently for other children, so in his adult years he wanted to help less fortunate kids.

The 81-year-old Brampton resident has made it a ritual to donate to The Brampton Guardian Santa Claus Fund (and formerly the Jim Proudfoot Corner fund, a part of The Star’s Santa Claus Fund), since sometime in the 1950s. He’s been making contributions for roughly half a century— and plans to continue his support.

Although he’s never personally met any of the children who have received gift boxes from the Santa Claus Fund, he can imagine the joy it brings them— and he knows the joy it brings him.

“Christmas is probably the most important time for children,” he told me during a telephone interview. “The motivation I have for donating, well, I was helped when I was young and I appreciate the fact that there are many children who don’t have Christmas like I did growing up.”

A father and grandfather himself, Ingebertson has always felt a need to look after the community’s children as well— even before he had his own children.

You can image the smiles, squeals and high spirits he’s inspired on Christmas morning over the years, when less fortunate children ages 0 to 12 open up a brightly decorated box filled with clothes, toys, candy and other goodies.

For some children, it might be their only gift.

Ingebertson said he hopes people continue to donate to The Santa Claus Fund— and he knows there are many families in Brampton that are living in poverty, and children who are living in less that desirable conditions. Every dollar counts, and every dollar donated goes toward building happiness and lasting memories in someone else’s childhood.

Donations in Brampton so far, are tallied at just over $5,000— but we have a ways to go, and we can do better. So this year, consider making a child smile on Christmas morning one of your annual holiday traditions.

The Brampton Guardian is still accepting donations from the public for this charity campaign. There is no minimum donation required for the Brampton Guardian Santa Claus Fund.

How to donate: Please send a cheque to The Brampton Guardian Santa Claus Fund, 7700 Hurontario St., Unit 201, Brampton, ON, L6Y 4M3. Visa and MasterCard donations can be made by calling 416-869-4847 or online by visiting www.thestar.com/santaclausfund.

The Toronto Star absorbs all administrative costs so all proceeds go directly into buying the gifts. Tax receipts will be issued.

If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund, or have a story to tell, please e-mail Ashley Goodfellow at agoodfellow@thebramptonguardian.com or phone 905-454-4344, ext. 268.

© Ashley Goodfellow, The Brampton Guardian, November 13, 2009

Click here to view Ashley’s article in The Brampton Guardian, http://www.northpeel.com/editorial/article/80516