Drama class raising funds for Christmas Wish Bag via Nutcracker performance

The Nutcracker is a beloved holiday family tale of triumph, acceptance and good will.

Staff and Dilico Anishnabek Family Care hope to capture similar magic over the course of the next few weeks through their annual Christmas Wish Bag campaign, which official opens on Thursday at Intercity Shopping Centre.

This year’s campaign, which collects presents for children in need, has the enthusiastic support of the Grade 12 drama class at St. Patrick High School, who are donating a portion of the proceeds from their Dec. 10 and 11 staging of the Tchaikovsky favourite at the Selkirk Auditorium.

Drama teacher Patricia Del Paggio said the program has always given back through its productions.

“All the plays we do here we do for others,” she said. “It’s been a motto here since I started working at St. Pat’s and we just kept it going every single year,” she said.

The students chose to help fight Parkinson’s disease in September and jumped on board when Dilico management approached them for help.

“It surprises me because they just want to keep giving back,” Del Paggio said. “So we’re doing both charities this year, which is exciting.”
Adding a second charitable recipient into the mix was an easy decision to make, said Xenia Ulok, a student at St. Pat’s.

“It’s really cool to be able to donate to two charities from just one play,” she said.

Not surprisingly in Northwestern Ontario, the need continues to grow each Christmas season. With more and more children in care or struggling to get by with the day-to-day necessities of life, Dilico Anishnabek Family Care director of child welfare Carmela Hardy said her organization can relate to the symbolism of the play, making it a perfect fit.

The campaign pairs donors with individual children, from infants to age 17. Those who wish to participate are given a bag to fill with toys and other essentials, like clothing, books, school supplies and learning tools.

Each bag is age specific.

“When children wake up on Christmas morning, they can have a wish bag under the tree,” Hardy said.
Participating is simple, she added.

Gift bags can be picked up and Intercity Shopping Centre on Nov. 26 and Dec. 10 from noon to 7 p.m. and Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

They are also available at Firedog Communications, Dilico Heath Park Site and Dilico Anishnabek Family Care’s offices at 200 Anemki Place.

Dilico elves will also be on hand taking collections from the audience at the Nutcracker performances at the school.