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Two buses full of donated toys and gifts arrived for sorting by volunteers and students on Monday, the result of the sixth annual Stuff-A-Bus toy drive in support of Santas Anonymous.
The two busloads of toys and donated gifts unloaded by volunteers at Father Patrick Mercredi Community High School yesterday were a testament to Wood Buffalo’s generosity and holiday spirit.
“It’s fantastic to see the holiday spirit in action in our region,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman. “The incredible generosity of so many of you will put smiles on faces in our communities and neighbourhoods. The success of the Stuff-A-Bus campaign was a true team effort and my major appreciation goes to Santas Anonymous, students, teachers, local businesses, residents and Buddy the Elf for helping to spread joy this holiday season.”
Local celebrity Buddy the Elf took part in the Stuff-A-Bus ride, to the delight of the students and staff at each stop.
“Fort McMurray is known for its welcoming community, and Santas Anonymous is successful because of the exceptional kindness of our community members,” said Lana Tremblay, Santas Anonymous Coordinator. “Thanks to all the hard work of our volunteers, local businesses, and our students, we’re able to pack our hampers with toys for our families in need for another year.”
Santas Anonymous is a student-led initiative at Father Mercredi School and has been in operation since 1984. The RMWB Transit Services team, along with Country 93.3 and 97.9 Rock partnered with Santas Anonymous to collect donations and help ensure all families in the region have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season.
On Friday, Dec. 10, municipal buses visited participating local businesses, organizations and schools to collect their donations. Guests on the bus included students from the Santas Anonymous initiative, Country 93.3 and 97.9 Rock as well as Buddy the Elf, who took time out of their very busy schedules to thank all participants for their kind donations.
The donations were dropped off at Father Mercredi School on Monday and are now being prepared for delivery.
Mayor Bowman and RMWB Chief Administrative Officer Jamie Doyle joined Santa Claus to help drop off the donations and thank all the Santas Anonymous volunteers for their hard work spreading the holiday spirit.
This year, the Stuff-A-Bus toy drive began on Nov. 18 and saw 29 organizations participate.
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