December 2006
It was a shopping list fit for Santa Claus. The goal: 500 toys.
Just after 8 a.m. about 30 staff from Century 21 descended on the Lansdowne Street Canadian Tire in early December to play Santa's elves and buy toys for needy children in the area.
Instead of a workshop, these elves charged their way through aisle after aisle loading up carts with every gift imaginable from stuffed animals to hockey sticks.
Sales representative Barbara Linton was wheeling a cart filled with radio-controlled cars while Lynn Gagliardi had a stack of puzzles and sidewalk chalk.
Dean Bridges was pushing carts full of toys up to the front of the store.
"I'm an elf right now," Bridges told The Examiner. "It's great to fill these carts up and not have to pay at the end."
Sylvia Brackenridge was busy pulling out toboggans and action figures, helping ring them through the checkout.
The shopping spree was a result of the Century 21 staff's year- long fundraising efforts as part of their annual Christmas toy drive.
Organizer Paul Epping said the staff have worked on the drive every year since the late '80s.
"We have a dollar value per toy we try to stay within," Epping said as action figures and toboggans were being unloaded and scanned by the cashier.
"We try to measure in toys not dollars and this year we're buying 500 toys."
Staff raised the money through lunches, draws, and donations. They tried to collect Canadian Tire money throughout the year as well.
This year, Epping said, they racked up more of the retailer-issued currency by collecting from the crowd during the Santa Claus Parade.
As much as he likes the great feeling of buying the toys, Epping said the real highlight for him will be when they bring the toys to Lansdowne Place. "Going down to the mall and marching those toys in, it just makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck," Epping said.
Tomorrow the group loads all the toys from their Century 21 United office on George Street into a truck that will carry the gifts to the mall; a school bus will bring the staff.
When they arrive, the staff parades the toys through the mall, down the escalator to the bin collecting toys for the Salvation Army hampers near the food court.
Epping said once everyone has come in and all the toys have been dropped off, carolling begins.
Century 21 real estate broker/owner Carl Oake said the drive seems to have a life of its own. "A lot of work goes into this," Oake said. "And as soon as we're done Saturday it starts again for next year."
Canadian Tire store owner Craig Salkeld and general manager Craig Gillis said the drive was a great tradition. "It's a tradition here too," said Gillis, who's been at the store for 11 years. "This is one of the better years."
This is the first Christmas Salkeld has owned the store. When he was asked if he wanted to continue participating in the toy drive, he said the answer was easy.
"Canadian Tire is a big part of the community," Salkeld said. "We like to give back and help those in need."
The store has one cashier just for the toy drive purchases along with a cashier counting the Canadian Tire money and several employees helping load the carts as they roll through the aisles.
"We're pleased to accommodate them and put a smile on kids' faces on Christmas morning," Gillis said.
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