Impressive fund support

The Caledon Community Services 2006 Santa Fund was an extraordinary success. It reminded all of us at CCS why we marvel each and every year at the abundance of goodness in this community when it comes to ensuring the health and well-being of families who need a leg up in the short-term in order to make it on their own in the longterm. Once again this past Christmas, businesses and Caledon residents stepped up to the plate in a very big way and made sure that more than 200 families in our community celebrated the holiday season with a bountiful dinner, nutritious food for many more meals and gifts around their tree.

There are so many people to thank: The Agricultural Society that offered a tremendous commitment to have their President's Building serve as the Santa Fund headquarters for many years to come; Royal LePage for kicking off the Fund with the Caledon Miracle Day; the 50+ volunteers who worked tirelessly for more than a month in gathering, sorting and then distributing food and gifts, always with a jump in their step and wearing smiles from ear to ear; Zehrs for running the Check Out Hunger food drive; Husky Injection Molding for providing gift certificates for every child registered with the Santa Fund to shop for outdoor recreation equipment at Canadian Tire; and of course, my own colleagues who put in hundreds of overtime hours ensuring that everything was run smoothly and that every family and child in this community who sought out our support would receive food hampers and children's gifts that would warm their hearts (and ours as well).

Those who gave and those who were the recipients of the community's gifts were enriched beyond compare. This community proved yet again that when the call is put out to help those in need, it responds with action, with deeds, with heart and with generosity that makes Caledon one of the choicest places to live, work and raise a family.

Thank-you all so very much for the effort, the spirit and the goodwill you offered our organization and this entire community in ensuring that the 2006 Santa Fund was the most successful to date in Caledon's history. As this community grows, its abilities to meet the needs of all of its residents becomes a critical issue. Your support has ensured that those abilities are well intact; whatever the need over Christmas, there was never any backing off, just a "bring it on" attitude.

How extraordinarily impressive!

Monty Laskin Executive Director Caledon Community Services