91原创

Sixty years ago, Cressy spearheaded one of those joyful Christmas experiences on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

It was the fall of 1963, and Cressy was just 19 and fresh out of high school in 91原创 when he volunteered to work at the YMCA in Trinidad. Six weeks after he arrived, the head of the cash-starved YMCA left, and Cressy was made the executive director.

With a lot of difficulty, he managed to raise a record amount of money that helped the YMCA survive its financial crisis. He did in memorable style 鈥� by bringing Canadian Christmas trees to the island for the first time.

Cressy remembered that his local church in 91原创 used to fundraise by selling Christmas trees. Because there was no history of Christmas trees in Trinidad, the YMCA steering committee thought Cressy鈥檚 crazy idea just might work, and it gave him the go-ahead.

He contacted the YMCA in Saint John, N.B., which sourced 1,500 Scotch pines. The trees were loaded on a cargo ship and were to arrive in Trinidad on Dec. 15. Everything was going smoothly until a small fire on the ship meant the trees had to be put on another ship in Bermuda, and were now set to arrive on Dec. 22.

But to Cressy鈥檚 horror, dockworkers were striking in Bermuda, and he learned the ship wouldn鈥檛 arrive in Barbados until Dec. 22 鈥� and wouldn鈥檛 get to Trinidad until after Christmas!

In desperation, Cressy and a YMCA committee member appealed to the head of British West Indian Airways for help. The airline agreed to fly a cargo plane to Barbados where Cressy and several others would load the trees from the ship.

Again, disaster almost struck because it was a Sunday and the Bajan dockworkers had the day off. However, a few workers were hanging out at the docks and, after some gentle persuading, got together to put the trees onto trucks, drive them to the airport and stuff them into every nook and cranny on the plane.

鈥淭here was a festive atmosphere when we arrived (back in Trinidad), with Christmas carols blasting on the radio,鈥� Cressy recalls in his new book, 鈥淕ordon Cressy Tells Great Stories.鈥澨�淭rinidad鈥檚 TV station covered the arrival. Families came by that night to buy trees, and for the next two days we sold trees nonstop. By Christmas Eve we had sold out! We turned a bad situation into a wonderful ending. People had their trees.鈥�

In Trinidad, Cressy鈥檚 Christmas tree adventure is revered to this day.

Several years ago, Tony Ramjewan, a Trinidad resident, wrote to Cressy, relating how his mother and grandmother would tell him about the first Christmas trees on the island.

鈥淚 always hear that name every Christmas, Gordon Cressy, the young man who changed Christmas in Trinidad,鈥� Ramjewan wrote. 鈥淓very Christmas all my family would get together and my grandma would tell us about her first real tree and the troubles you went through to get the trees to Trinidad.

鈥淚 just wanted to thank you for bringing that joy to my family and the tradition of my grandma telling us your story every Christmas morning.鈥�

Gordon Cressy has spent a lifetime raising and donating money for countless worthy causes, including the 91原创 Star Santa Claus Fund. All have brought joy and happy memories to children, whether in Trinidad or 91原创. 听

By supporting the Santa Claus Fund, you too can help create joyful Christmas memories that will last a lifetime 鈥� just as Gordon Cressy helped create a Christmas tradition for the children of Trinidad that is still remembered on the island some 60 years later.

So, please, donate what you can. 听

The 91原创 Star Santa Claus Fund

GOAL:听$1.5 million

How to donate

翱苍濒颈苍别:听To donate by Visa,听Mastercard听or听Amex听use our secure form at听飞飞飞.迟丑别蝉迟补谤.肠辞尘/蝉肠蹿听

By cheque:听Mail to The 91原创 Star Santa Claus Fund, 8听Spadina听Ave., 91原创, ON M5V 0S8

By phone:听Call 647-250-8282

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