Just prior to the holidays, we were contacted by the Buddha's Light International Association, also known as Fo Guang Shan. The organization's volunteers had undertaken various fundraising activities, and wanted to make a donation to the Richmond Christmas Fund. We of course were delighted, and made arrangements to pick up the cheque early in the new year.

Flash forward to January 8. We arrived at Vancouver Fo Guang Shan Temple, located on the sixth floor of President Plaza, and were warmly greeted by volunteers. They introduced us to the temple's Abbess, and then guided us into the Buddha Hall for a cheque presentation photo.

From there, they led us on a tour of the temple, which includes a library, a dining hall, and classrooms, where the organization offers everything from Buddhist lectures to children's art classes. Before we left, we were presented with gifts commemorating Lunar New Year. Among them was a poster - now displayed in our office - with the phrase 'Keep Going, the Future is Bright' written in Chinese calligraphy.

The donation was an extremely generous $1,200. The overall experience, though, was priceless.

Over the past two decades - and now into a third - the Richmond Christmas Fund and the Richmond Auto Mall have forged a deep connection. The Auto Mall has hosted dozens of Christmas Fund events, and its dealerships are among the biggest contributors to the Christmas Fund's online auction, which this past year raised over $16,700.

But it's the Auto Mall's annual fundraising campaign - Windows of Hope - that has created real and lasting holiday magic. At the heart of the campaign is an exchange: each year, volunteers or, more recently, professional artists, paint holiday scenes on the windows of Auto Mall dealerships. To show their gratitude, the dealerships, in turn, make a donation to the Christmas Fund, as do many suppliers and sponsors.

In 2024, Windows of Hope marked its 21st year by raising $37,000. That's hugely impressive, and so is this: the campaign's overall total now surpasses $475,000!

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gail Terry, the Auto Mall's General Manager, and her entire team, who work tirelessly to coordinate Windows of Hope. We extend heartfelt thanks, also, to the dealerships and sponsors - both past and present - whose generosity brings the campaign to life.

The Christmas Fund exists because of Richmond's giving spirit, which shines brightly in every corner of the community. The Auto Mall, though, will always be a leading light.

In recent years, a tradition has developed between RCRG and the Rotary Club of Richmond: dim sum and a donation. That tradition continued in 2024, when, at Continental Seafood Restaurant, Club members presented Ed Gavsie, President & CEO of RCRG, with a $3,100 gift in support of the Richmond Christmas Fund.

The photo was taken between generous servings of shrimp dumplings and barbeque pork buns. Most generous of all, however, is the Rotary Club itself, whose tradition of giving has brightened the holidays for so many of our neighbours in need.

The future is here! When presenting major donations, RBC has moved on from a giant novelty cheque. Now, they use a giant novelty e-transfer!

But let's not bury the lede. The headline story is that RBC has become one of the Richmond Christmas Fund's biggest supporters, supplying volunteers, hosting toy donation boxes, and making significant monetary gifts. This year, they contributed $10,000, a remarkable total that's created holiday magic and unforgettable memories for our neighbours in need.

We're immensely grateful for RBC's support, and are proud to call them a Christmas Fund Angel Donor.

This is the third straight year that Coast Capital Savings has made a $5,000 donation to the Richmond Christmas Fund. It's also the second straight year that members of the Coast Capital team have come out to volunteer, providing welcome help as we packed up the Christmas Fund toy room and got everything organized for next holiday season.

Each year, the Christmas Fund story has a beginning, middle, and end, and each part is equally important. In 2024, Coast's support was a highlight of the Christmas Fund's concluding chapter.

Shout out to the small but mighty team of volunteers who helped pack up the Christmas Fund toy room! Also, as always, thank you to our friends and partners at Bekins, who generously store our toys and supplies so we're ready to go for the next holiday season.

Last but definitely not least, a tip of our Santa hats to Steve, our longtime driver. He's been with us for many Christmas Fund seasons, during which he's stacked and transported countless boxes of toys. He says he's getting close to retirement, so we may not see him next year. If that's the case, we wish him all the best, because he's been a big part of the Christmas Fund team.

This year, the Richmond Christmas Fund was supported by 57 volunteers, who together contributed well over 650 hours. They were, as always, the beating heart of the program, in the sense that they kept everything running, but also in their endless supply of kindness and compassion.

They served as registration assistants and toy sorters, as greeters and toy room assistants, as data entry volunteers and translators. Individually, they were patient, considerate, and welcoming. Together as a group, they were focused, efficient, and detail-oriented.

They were, in short, an incredible team - one that we wouldn't trade for all the toys in Santa's workshop.

To each of our volunteers: thank you for making another Christmas Fund season so magical.

One of the Richmond Christmas Fund's guiding principles is inclusion. If somebody lives in our community, and they need help during the holidays, we'll be there for them. As a result, the population we serve reflects Richmond's diversity - people of every faith, every culture, every background. They're all our neighbours in need, and that's all that matters.

What's really amazing, however, is that a similar diversity can be seen in our supporters. It isn't one single group that steps up for the Christmas Fund; it's the entire community. 

A wonderful example from this holiday season is the Sri Sadashiva Foundation, a Hindu-affiliated faith group with a temple on No. 5 Road. This year, for the first time, the Foundation organized a toy drive among its members, who gave generously. When they dropped off the donations, representatives from the group told us they hoped to host another, even bigger toy drive next year. 

We loved the enthusiasm! More than that, though, we loved connecting with a new group of supporters, who are as passionate about the community as we are.

This year marked the 18th annual edition of the Victor Ghirra Toy Drive, an inspiring event that honours the memory of Victor Ghirra, who, for over a decade, and without seeking recognition, quietly donated thousands of toys to patients at BC Children's Hospital.

Fittingly, the 2024 toy drive benefitted 24 community agencies, including the Richmond Christmas Fund, which not only received some amazing toys, but also a $1,000 monetary donation.

We're incredibly grateful to the Ghirra family, and all of the event organizers, for their continued support of the Christmas Fund. We're proud to play a small part in keeping Victor's legacy alive. Here's to the "man with a golden heart!"

Martin van den Hemel is a longtime friend and supporter of the Richmond Christmas Fund. He also happens to be Director of Communications at UniUni, which was recently named one of North America's fastest growing tech companies.

While UniUni has a continental reach, its home office is here in Richmond, and Martin has ensured that the company maintains strong community ties. That commitment to local causes was illustrated recently at the Richmond RCMP Toy Drive, where UniUni presented the Christmas Fund with a $3,000 donation. 

It's the second straight year the company has made a major monetary gift, and helped deliver a brighter holiday season for families in need.

Earlier this year, Sage, the multi-national business software company, moved its BC headquarters from Richmond to Vancouver. This could have been quite the setback for the Richmond Christmas Fund, as Sage has been a major supporter over the years, making monetary donations and collecting hundreds - if not thousands - of toys. With their new location, would they forget about the Christmas Fund?

Short answer: nope!

In 2024, Sage once again organized a spectacular toy drive. What's more, several of their team members personally delivered the donations, braving traffic as they made the journey from Vancouver to Richmond. Now that's dedication!

Sage may be a little further away, but they're still one of the most caring companies we know!

Sometimes, the smallest donors have the biggest hearts! 

For the second year in a row, students and families at Choice School collected toys for the Richmond Christmas Fund. But the students didn't stop there! With help from their teachers, Ms. Sueyoshi and Ms. Sarai, the students delivered their donations to the Christmas Fund Toy Room, where they learned how their generosity will brighten the holidays for children in need.

Full credit to the students: despite being surrounded - and, yes, a little distracted - by walls of toys, they listened patiently as we described how the Christmas Fund works and why it exists. They understood that, by giving toys, they get to play the role of Santa, and will create just as many smiles on Christmas morning.

Founded in 1995, the Country Meadows Senior Men's Golf Club has about 170 members, who play a round together every Wednesday morning, from March to October. So far, sounds like a pretty standard club, right?

But then you notice the group's motto, which is rather unique: Golf is Our Passion, Giving is Our Mission. Turns out, while the club's members are united by sport, they're motivated by charity. To date, they've raised well over $1.7 million, primarily supporting prostate cancer research through the BC Cancer Foundation.

On occasion, though, they direct their generosity towards other causes, and we're delighted to say that, this year, one of them was the Richmond Christmas Fund. On December 10, the Country Meadows Senior Men's Golf Club presented us with a donation exceeding $2,500. Their only request was that the money be used to help kids in need. It of course will do exactly that. In fact, their gift is already making holiday wishes come true!

Launched in 2011 by Patti Martin, the Realtor Challenge is an annual fundraising campaign in support of the Richmond Christmas Fund. Each year, dozens of Realtors participate, making individual donations that add up to an astounding total. In 2024, the campaign raised $16,500 - money that will help countless struggling families experience the magic and joy of a holiday celebration.

It's true: we tell a similar story every year. Yet again, Richmond Realtors have stepped up to help their community's most vulnerable residents. But the narrative, while repeated, never gets old. It remains extraordinary and inspiring. Over 14 years, the Realtor Challenge has generated nearly $170,000 for the Christmas Fund. That story needs to be told again and again, because it's a shining example of the giving spirit that makes the Christmas Fund possible.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Patti and her colleagues, and are pleased to share the full list of Realtors who joined this year's campaign rcrg.org/RichmondRealtorsCare

Generally, people get their photo taken with Santa. In this case, though, we get the feeling it was the other way around: Santa wanted his photo taken with Gary Eng. And who could blame him? Over the past 10 years or so, Gary has spread holiday magic throughout the community.

In his role as General Manager of Summit Customs Brokers, Gary has led an annual fundraising campaign that also includes Preferred Service Customs Brokers, Alliance Border Services, and Manitoulin Transport. Together, they've donated over $60,000 to the Richmond Christmas Fund, including $10,000 this year. 

Santa may be a global icon, but when he visits Richmond, he isn't the headliner. Here, Gary gets top billing on the holiday marquee.

For the second year in a row, TumbleTown, a children's gymnastics & movement education centre, held a toy drive in support of the Richmond Christmas Fund. Once again, TumbleTown and its families were hugely generous, donating toys for every interest and age group.

At our front desk, we have three toy donation boxes, which are reasonably big. When TumbleTown arrived, however, and started unloading their donations, it quickly became apparent that, in this particular instance, our boxes were woefully undersized. And so, the toys were piled on top, in front, and all around, which, we have to say, looked pretty cool! It was a balancing act only TumbleTown could've pulled off - and a wonderful act of kindness!

At the Richmond Christmas Fund, one of the biggest challenges we face is space. That's particularly true when it comes to toy storage. We receive so many amazing donations that there simply isn't room for everything! 

Thankfully, Platinum Pro-Claim Restoration has got our back.

A longtime Christmas Fund Angel Donor, Platinum Pro-Claim makes an annual monetary gift to the program. But that's definitely not all. Following the Richmond RCMP Toy Drive - which literally collects TONS of toys - Platinum Pro-Claim boxes up the donations and stores them at its warehouse, until we're ready to distribute the items to families in need.

This year, following two busy days of Christmas Fund registration, our toy shelves were looking pretty bare. And so, we gave Platinum Pro-Claim a call, and on December 3, they sent a truck and two team members over to Christmas Fund headquarters. The truck was overflowing with donations from the RCMP Toy Drive, and the team members helped us unload everything. As a result, we have a refreshed selection of awesome toys for the second half of Christmas Fund registration!

Who needs a sleigh and flying reindeer when you can count on a caring company like Platinum Pro-Claim?

November 23 marked an impressive community milestone: the Richmond RCMP hosted their 10th Annual Toy Drive, in support of the Richmond Christmas Fund.

Held at Lansdowne Centre, the event was awash in festive feeling and community spirit. There were cops and firefighters, pets and mascots, hockey players and elected officials, along with community members of all ages and backgrounds. The cool part, though, is that everyone was there for a single purpose: to brighten the holidays for our neighbours in need.

Those who brought a donation - whether toys or cash - were treated to a complimentary bag of mini donuts, sponsored by FortisBC. Donors also received a ticket to an upcoming Richmond Sockeyes game, though, as it turned out, they could watch a pretty good game of shinny right there at the toy drive. It's true: the event featured a full-blown street hockey game, with the Richmond RCMP, Richmond Sockeyes, and local VIPs all taking part!

We'd like to express our sincere gratitude to the event sponsors, all of the volunteers, and the many generous folks who came out to make a donation. Most of all, thank you to the Richmond RCMP, whose time, effort, and energy are at the foundation of this beloved and truly inspiring holiday event.

Now, at the Christmas Fund, we'll do our part, and make sure every one of the donated toys gets to a child in need.

At RCRG, we're lucky to have a pair of Board Members from RBC Royal Bank: Antony Wang, our Treasurer, and his colleague Jessica Chow. While they're normally focused on board governance, they also love helping out with the Richmond Christmas Fund, and on November 15, they did just that, alongside an entire volunteer team from RBC Financial Services!

The group spent several hours putting together shelves for the Christmas Fund toy room, ensuring we can easily display, categorize, and distribute books, board games, LEGO sets, craft kits, and countless other gifts for children in need.

If that wasn't enough, the RBC team also made a $1,500 donation to the Christmas Fund. It's a grassroots investment that will pay dividends for our community this holiday season!

This marks the third consecutive year that Aspac Developments has sent a team to volunteer with the Richmond Christmas Fund. After a morning where they almost single-handedly unloaded a container truck full of toys, they showed their generosity in another way: by making a $2,000 donation! 

Indeed, they've made a similar gift each time they've volunteered, contributing both hours and dollars to our cause. We're hugely grateful for such meaningful, multifaceted support!

The Richmond Christmas Fund season begins with a container truck. Inside are shelves and tables and step ladders and other supplies. There are also boxes and boxes of toys. Before the Christmas Fund can start brightening the holidays for families in need, the container needs to be unloaded. It's a decidedly unglamorous task, but a hugely important one, and it's all made possible by volunteers. 

This year, we had help from not one, not two, but three caring companies! Aspac Developments, RBC Royal Bank, and Richmond Centre all sent volunteers, who moved boxes, built shelves, sorted toys, and brought the Christmas Fund from storage back into the light of day.

A fourth caring company - Bekins Moving & Storage - donated the container and the services of one of their drivers, as they do every year. (A special shout out to Steve, who's been our driver for multiple Christmas Fund seasons, and hopefully many more to come!)

Before the Christmas Fund has given out a single toy or grocery voucher, the community is already involved - laying the groundwork, setting the stage. We want to ensure that these efforts don't go unseen or unsung, because they make a profound difference.