After finding out two years ago that hundreds of teenagers went without gifts at Christmas in 2016, a realty group has now worked to remedy that for the second year in a row.
Sutton Premier Realty, based in Guildford, donated 268 sports balls and about 40 gift hampers for teenagers to the Surrey Christmas Bureau on Wednesday, Dec. 12.
When Sadaf Baig, managing broker at Sutton, heard two years ago that some teenagers didn’t receive gifts, she said it was “absolutely shocking.” She said she saw the teenager gift area and it was “empty.”
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Baig said the hampers includes hat, gloves, scarves and candies, along with $25 gift cards. There were also hampers that included movie gift cards, popcorn and candy, she said.
Baig said realtors decided as an office to get something for the teens based on activities and something to open on Christmas.
“Why should anyone not have anything on Christmas (morning)?”
Lisa Werring, executive director at the Surrey Christmas Bureau, told the Now-Leader previously that the bureau still has problems with getting gifts for teenagers.
“Anybody who has teenagers understands that,” she said.
Werring said gift cards are an option, but “that’s not fun to open under the tree.”
As of midday Wednesday, Werring said the bureau had registered 1,943 families, but Werring said she expected the number of families to hit 2,000 by Saturday “without a doubt.”
This year, Werring said, the bureau is helping more than 4,300 children. Last year, the Christmas bureau helped 4,100 children.
“We’re definitely seeing an increased need.”
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Official registration for families ended in the first week of December, but Werring said volunteers are still registering about 25 families per day.
Donations are accepted at the Surrey Christmas Bureau, as well as fire halls throughout the city and Guildford mall. The Toy Depot opens Nov. 28 and will run until Dec. 22. People can also donate online at christmasbureau.com/donate.
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lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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