REBEKAH LESKO

It’s that time of the year when the cold air of winter brings about a warmth of generosity. Some student groups at the University of Saskatchewan have decided to help out local charities this holiday season.

Whether in the form of food hampers, children’s toys or warm clothing, it’s evident that the student groups are making a positive difference this Christmas season.

The Agriculture Students’ Association is supplying new toys to less fortunate families of the city this year. On Dec. 2, first-year agriculture students headed out to Toys “R” Us to purchase new toys and take them to City Hall where they were compiled into a large donation.

This toy drive was a part of CJWW radio station’s Denny Carr Secret Santa Foundation, which last year provided 600 families with toys for children during Christmas. Anyone looking to participate can drop off any new toy still in its original packaging for a child under 12 years of age at multiple locations throughout the city until Dec. 16.

The Secret Santa Foundation was established as a federally recognized charity in 2000, 16 years after long-time Saskatoon broadcaster Denny Carr first dreamt that every child in the city should receive a gift on Christmas. Since then the foundation has expanded its donations to include A Complete Country Christmas, where less-fortunate families in Saskatoon can receive food hampers and toys.

As many families struggle to make ends meet this season, U of S Huskie Athletics is helping supply Saskatoon families with warm clothing with a new fundraiser called Cover Your Paws.

On the weekend of Nov. 29 and 30, the Huskies gathered donations of new and gently used winter apparel during home basketball games at the Physical Activity Complex as part of the annual Cover Your Paws campaign. That same weekend, Huskie branded mittens were on sale for $5 to be purchased or donated back to the cause, raising $800 that was used to purchase winter gear for children.

Approximately 1,600 toques, mittens, scarves and other winter clothing was donated that weekend. Cash proceeds from the mitten sales and the collected winter clothing will be given to the Saskatoon Public and Greater Catholic school divisions on Dec. 5.

The Huskies will also join the students at Bishop Roborecki School and Confederation Park Community School for a day of sledding on Dec. 5.

Huskie Athletics corporate partner Tim Horton’s donated 500 pairs of mittens and 500 toques to Cover Your Paws.

The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition students collected non-perishable food items and put together hampers that were donated to AIDS Saskatoon on Nov. 29.

As the holidays approach, AIDS Saskatoon will continue creating hampers that include everything for a holiday dinner,­ healthy non-perishable foods and other items such as warm clothing and gifts for children.

Each year the organization delivers approximately 100 hampers to families and individuals in the Saskatoon community living with HIV or AIDS.

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Graphic: Cody Schumacher/Graphics Editor