Every child deserves a merry and bright holiday season — and Santa leaves no kid behind, aptly making his rounds at children’s hospitals across the country on Christmas Eve. So, even if the holidays may look a little different for some children this year, the magic doesn’t disappear.
This is thanks to the SickKids Foundation and their holiday-focused initiatives for young patients. The foundation’s mission is to inspire communities to invest in health and scientific advances to improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and around the world.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) – the marketing board for the largest sector of Ontario agriculture – is back to help spread the holiday cheer this season with a $500,000 donation to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and other children’s hospitals in Ontario. This brings DFO’s total donations through their Milk & Cookies campaign to over $3 million since 2019. These important funds support the most urgent needs of children and families spending the holidays in hospitals across the province.
“The funds help four children’s hospitals across the country and are allocated to our highest priorities,” says Jennifer Bernard, President & CEO of the SickKids Foundation. “So, that may be equipment, specialized medication, or compassionate funds for people who come to Toronto unexpectedly. It really goes to the highest priorities of every hospital to ensure we can respond to something urgent or that we weren’t expecting.”
Beyond their financial contributions, to make the holiday season even more special, DFO is bringing back the beloved Magic Milk Glasses. These keepsakes, featuring heart-warming drawings and matching built-in cookie cutters designed by children across Ontario, will be given to in-patients in Ontario’s children’s hospitals. These glasses help ensure that every child can participate in the age-old tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa – even from their hospital room.
“Dairy Farmers of Ontario is committed to supporting communities across Ontario. We want to show children and their families spending the holidays in Ontario children’s hospitals that we are thinking of them,” said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Dairy Farmers of Ontario. “Our Magic Milk Glass initiative goes beyond the donation to ensure these children are able to experience the special Christmas Eve ritual of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa.”
Bernard says that the annual Magic Milk Glass initiative is really about bringing the holiday spirit to kids who have to spend the holidays in the hospital and reinforcing that they’re on Santa’s ‘good list.’ “A lot of people don’t realize that kids don’t get to go home for the holidays when they’re in an acute center,” says Bernard. “So, it brings the tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa to them. It really makes kids feel like they haven’t been forgotten, that they get to participate in Christmas traditions, and that they are on the ‘good list.’ A lot of kids don’t know why they’re sick – they blame themselves. So, a big part of Santa coming makes them feel like they’re a good kid, and that’s what makes this tradition so important.”
SickKids outpatient, 9-year-old Sadie Middleton, knows this well. While she’ll spend Christmas at home with her family this year, that hasn’t always been the case. “I’m excited to have Christmas at home this year,” says Middleton, with a shy smile. She says last year in the hospital, they made gingerbread houses, had the Elf on the Shelf come, and – of course – left the Magic Milk Glass out for Santa.
“We do a whole holiday program and ensure every child gets a gift and that their siblings do too,” says Bernard. “We bring the spirit of the holiday season into the hospital. We respect different faiths and backgrounds, but we definitely do our Santa and make sure the children feel like they’re part of the outside world, even though they’re in the hospital.”
Sadie’s mom Julie remains grateful for these efforts. “We weren’t at home, but we did fun things to make it feel like home,” she says. “Things like this are so impactful for families like us, who’ve now spent two Christmases in the hospital. It’s really hard, but to make it joyous and to do something to celebrate the holidays is really important. We’re really thankful.”
If you want to get involved in this heartwarming initiative, DFO is also hosting its first-ever Magic Milk Truck experience, a mobile pop-up event where families can enjoy free milk and cookies, and design their own Magic Milk Glass drawings. The event will take place at Shops at Don Mills on Saturday, November 23 at 10:00 AM.
Furthermore, until November 26, Canadian kids are invited to submit their own Magic Milk Glass drawing and make the magical ritual of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa mean even more this season. “We encourage children to get their creative juices flowing and send their drawings that may end up on the glasses for these children,” says Bernard.
Share your #MagicMilkGlass design on social media using @ontariodairy and using the hashtag.
