Calgary charity loses storage space for 2023 Christmas gifts

A Calgary charity may not be able to give out gifts after losing it’s only storage space for 2023 Christmas gifts.

Magic of Christmas (MC) has been known for dressing their volunteers as Santa and his elves, then riding Calgary transit throughout the city on Christmas Eve to distribute gifts.

Scott Perley, president of MC, says the group is heartbroken.

“Gifts that we have collected toward the end of the year…are ready to be given away for the the following year,” said Perley.

Paying rent and then getting money back in donations is how MC has been surviving; however, the warehouse where they used to stock all their gifts has been sold and they are being forced to move.

“You pay an operating rent, plus a basic rent. And, so it’s at $15,000 a month. That is quite a lot for a charity. We want to make sure donations go to helping people and not to paying rent,” said Perley.

The Calgary charity has been helping Calgarians who can’t afford to buy Christmas gifts for 40 years.

Rhonda L. Clark is one of 700 volunteers who work with MC. She says she’s been helping for six years.

“I don’t want to see this happen to the ‘Magic of Christmas’. It does so much for people. It warms my heart so much to be an elf and deliver the gifts to families. Not only that, but we also stop and gift people along the way at traffic lights, someone walking their dog, at bus terminals, and even at convenience stores,” said Clarke.

“I’m pretty sure a lot of people will remember us elves and Santa running up to them and giving gifts. That is the Magic of Christmas, it’s unexpected but what a feeling. We can’t lose this, it’s magic.”

Perley says MC is considered the soul of Calgary.

“Just last year we visited more than 800 families, making sure that we are providing gifts that are meaningful and that can help someone have a meaningful Christmas,” said Perley.

He says he’s hoping for a miracle to happen.

“Calgary always comes through and that’s part of what we say the magic is. The magic is that it happens at all…somebody that is able to donate to help us out with a space like that.”