Students at Red Deer's Barrie Wilson Elementary School experienced the joy of giving during the holiday season on Monday, by taking part in the school's sixth annual Christmas Market. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman

The Joy Of Giving

Barrie Wilson students experience the joy of giving during annual Christmas Market

Dec 2, 2019 | 1:57 PM

It’s all about strengthening school and community spirit while raising money for families in need.

École Barrie Wilson Elementary School in Red Deer held its yearly Christmas Market on Monday.

The sixth annual event allowed students to bring in gently-used items for donation to the market, and then shop the market themselves to purchase gifts at one dollar each for their immediate family members.

Co-ordinator Jaelene Tweedle says the event makes students feel proud.

“They’re able to shop and get something for their family,” she explains. “But we also make sure we tell them that any money we collect goes to help our own families in the school that are struggling and families throughout Red Deer Public, because we support the Lindsay Thurber Christmas Hamper program. So we let them know that what they do here helps other kids that don’t get to have as good a Christmas as they get to have.”

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Tweedle adds the event is a favourite amongst the students.

“They get so excited about shopping when they see us setting everything out a couple days before the market,” she exclaims. “They tell us how happy they are about the things they picked out for the certain people in their families, so it’s a big day for them.”

“I’ve been lucky the last couple years,” she continues. “I’ve had the chance to go out with the Lindsay Thurber Hamper program and the bus to deliver the hampers throughout the city. You see how much some families struggle that you may not have noticed that some people have it that hard and you see what a difference its making.”

Principal Chris Good points-out the Christmas Market helps teach students the importance of giving during the holiday season.

“They don’t get to take anything for themselves, so it’s all about giving to others,” says Good. “I just think it really teaches the kids a lot about the joy of giving. One of my favourite times in the whole school year is at the end of this day when I’m out doing bus supervision, you see the kids getting on the bus and they’ve all got these bags of gifts for mom and dad and their siblings and how excited they are and how happy they are to be giving those gifts away.”

Over the past six years, Good estimates the Christmas Market has donated close to $10,000 to the Lindsay Thurber Christmas Hamper program.

“A portion of our funds every year goes to our school benevolence fund which we use to help families in need, not just at this time of year but throughout the year,” he continues. “Then a bigger portion of the money we raise goes to the Lindsay Thurber Christmas Hamper program. Lindsay Thurber gives hampers to families all over the city, it’s a really great program so we want to support that.”