Charlotte Shemko's annual birthday fundraiser started when she was just three years old. Now 12, this year's campaign raised more than $10,000 for the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
For 12-year-old Hatter Charlotte Shemko, the end of the year not only marks the holidays, but her birthday season. For as long as she can recall, both her birthday and the holidays have been about giving.
Since Shemko was only three years old, she has foregone a typical party for her late-November birthday and instead hosted a fundraiser for the local charity the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund.
Shemko is an only child, and the only grandchild on both sides. Her mother, Amanda Poll, says it just wasn’t necessary for her daughter to get so many gifts, especially just before Christmas.
“I’m a social worker, so I work with a lot of marginalized families, and I just know how much folks struggle this time of year,” said Poll. “It seemed like an easy thing to do. I talked to Charlotte at that point when she was little and explained that we had lots, and there were people who didn’t have very much.”
When Shemko got older, she says it was a no-brainer to keep up the tradition.
“Honestly, I just think about families that don’t have as much as other families have, and they can’t just go out and buy a Christmas present or a family supper, they have to go somewhere to help them out,” said Shemko.
She wanted to use her special day to help make the holidays special for others.
Originally, Shemko’s fundraiser would take the form of a birthday party where her whole class was invited and encouraged to bring a donation.
But the pandemic struck when Shemko was in the second grade.
“She couldn’t have a birthday party, but she didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be able to help the Santa Claus Fund,” said Poll.
Poll put out a call on Facebook asking friends and family to buy a toy for her daughter’s toy drive. The two set out with cocoas in hand to collect their donations from their neighbours’ homes.
When the pandemic passed, Shemko began hosting parties again. But the new tradition also stuck, adding another aspect to their annual fundraiser.
Every year, Shemko sets a goal for her donations that gets higher each time, and she seeks out new ways to broaden the reach of her initiative.
Last year, an 11-year-old Shemko was invited to speak about her initiative at the Santa Claus Fund’s gala, which happens every five years. After her talk, she was approached by several businesses who offered to collect donations for Shemko’s drive.
Inspired by last year’s expansion, this year Shemko wrote letters to several other local businesses asking if they would have a collection for their staff and clientele. Heading into this holiday, she had a variety of partners in the community, including Studio Select salon, MNP accounting, Servus Credit Union and Medicine Hat Soccer.
For donors who want to contribute to Shemko’s campaign but don’t know what to get, or for long-distance donors, Shemko will also take cash and go shopping for the kids herself.
“It’s definitely one of my favourite parts, getting to pick stuff out,” she said.
Her goal for this year’s campaign was $6,500 in donations. Altogether, her donations were valued at more than $10,000.
The success of her charity campaign is a valuable gift for Shemko this Holiday Season.
“It means a lot to me,” she said.
Poll says it seems like a small thing, but the impact in the community adds up.
“It really brings people together,” she said. “The sum is worth more than the parts.”
