The Magic of Christmas
(A NON-PROFIT CHARITABLE SOCIETY)
Merry Christmas!
 It may be a little early to say Merry Christmas but it is time to sign up for the various volunteer positions with The Magic of Christmas. My name is Shannon McNaught and I am the president this year of the Magic of Christmas.
We are hoping to visit over 350 families and thousands of patients in care facilities throughout the city this year to bring them Christmas spirit into their homes and hearts. We are happy that you will be a part of this experience to make this Christmas a success.
As you know, The Magic of Christmas is a not-for-profit charity focused on delivering the Christmas Spirit of loving, caring and sharing to many. This is where we differ from many other charities. We are more than just gifts. Every Christmas Eve, we load Calgary Transit buses magically transformed into reindeer sleighs with Santa and his elves and visit the homes and hospitals of people who are in need, both financially and emotionally (ie. They many have had a death in their immediate family that has significantly impacted their living situation, or are spending Christmas in a care facility away from their families etc.)
Workshop
 Elf Registration
In order to volunteer with The Magic of Christmas all Elves are required to register and attend training. Each elf will be issued an ID card; therefore it is important that each person wishing to volunteer attend elf registration and training. If you are unable to attend, please call Shirley at The Magic of Christmas office at 403-803-1619 to make other arrangements.
To make the registration as efficient as possible, please complete the registration forms (link) prior to coming. Though we try to accommodate everyone’s wishes, we cannot guarantee your preferences. (http://www.themagicofchristmas.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:volunteer-registration&Itemid=75)
New ID cards will be issued only to new elves or to returning elves that require a new card.
You must be registered in order to volunteer in any capacity.
Elf Orientation/ Santa Training
Elf Orientation
All Elves are asked to attend the Elf Orientation. This orientation allows you to understand what is expected from each and every elf. We present to you the spirit of The Magic of Christmas
If you want to be a Santa … Remember that Santas come in all sizes and shapes, but share common qualities – a caring disposition and an upbeat personality, a good listener, non-judgmental of the families he visits and keeps his elves smiling and singing.
Training
Santa and C.E.O. (Chief Elf On-board) training will occur after the Elf Orientation. It is important to attend the training as without it you may be denied the opportunity to perform the role. If you are unable to attend the training, please call Shirley at The Magic of Christmas office at 403-803-1619 to have the individual training scheduled another time.
It is very important that Santa and all the Elves have Fun on Christmas Eve – as this is a key component to deliver the loving, caring and sharing experience.
REMEMBER that The Magic of Christmas has a zero-tolerance level for ANYONE drinking alcohol prior to any shift.
 Volunteer Positions
The following are the volunteer positions available. While all positions are available for morning, afternoon or evening shifts, please note that the morning and afternoon shifts fill up fast and you are more likely to receive larger group assignments in the evening shifts.
 Bus Elves - Ride with Santa to make home visits on Christmas Eve.
Hospital Elves - Santa and Elves visit those who are in nursing homes and hospitals on Christmas Eve. (Must be at least 16 years old.)
Show Elves - we perform Christmas Shows right up to Christmas - need elves and Santas to bring a special touch to corporate Santa parties.
Workshop Elves - Sort, organize, pack, pile, help fill Santa's sleigh. We need workshop elves for the entire week leading up to Christmas to help sort donations in our giant warehouse.
Pickup drivers - Since Santa's sleigh cannot pick up all the donations we receive, we need some help to pick up the boxes of donations scattered throughout the city.
Costume Wranglers - There are a lot of elves and they all need to be dressed. The costume wranglers dress, log and track all the Elves and their clothing. This position may require you to be available throughout the week leading up to Christmas Eve. We will require all hands on deck for the big day.
Sewing Elves – The elf outfits always need a little tender love and care. If you know how to sew it would be very helpful to sign up to fix some of the outfits. We will be scheduling outfit mending before and after the Christmas season.
 Join the Magic of Christmas Challenge!
The Magic of Christmas challenge is designed for organizations who would like to donate gifts without worrying about the details of adopting an entire family. We'll give you a box, you fill it up and on December 21st, Santa and his Elves will come pick it up!
This is a great way to engage your organization and staff in the spirit of giving and the best part is you don't have to worry about the logistics. Imagine how much fun your staff will have filling the box and receiving a special visit from Santa for all their hard work.
To get started request a box now!
(http://www.themagicofchristmas.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=58)
Website
The Magic of Christmas website has been upgraded and while we are still working out some of the kinks within it, we do see that we will be able to provide more capabilities then we have been able to in the past. You are welcome to venture through the website at http://www.themagicofchristmas.org. Please do not hesitate to provide feedback and comments about the website so that we may continue to improve it to meet our needs.
 If you have any questions or comments, you can contact myself at
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or call Shirley at The Magic of Christmas office at 403-803-1619.
I am excited to see all of us deliver an amazing year of Christmas Spirit bringing a truly loving, caring and sharing experience to our fellow Calgarians and appreciate how much everyone has contributed to something that means so much to so many different people.
Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you this Christmas Season.
Thank you,
Shannon McNaught,
President, The Magic of Christmas |
