Friends trying to make Eid extra special for those affected by pandemic

Jalal Hamdan and friends are organizing toys to be given out as part of the Eid celebrations. "This year with COVID and the circumstances that a lot of people are in, we decided we wanted to spread that joy to everybody from all different backgrounds,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

EDMONTON — A group of friends is hoping to make the celebration of Eid a little more happy for a lot of children in need.

Jalal Hamdan and some buddies thought a toy drive would be the perfect way to give back to the community. He says Eid is like Christmas for the Muslim community.

“My memories of EID are you go to your grandparents house and get a bunch of toys. This year with COVID and the circumstances that a lot of people are in, we decided we wanted to spread that joy to everybody from all different backgrounds.”

Hamdan’s group has teamed up with Islamic Relief Canada, Al Rashid Mosque and IFSSA. The goal is to raise $12,000 to purchase more than 800 new toys. They will be wrapped and delivered to families the day before Eid. The group will be adhering to Alberta Health Services health protocols and deliveries will be contactless.

The Eid Toy Drive reached out to a major toy wholesaler to get more value for their money. Duncan Birt with Famous Toys was happy to help out.

“We work heavily with Santa’s Anonymous and that’s geared toward the end of the year at Christmas, so to find a new holiday here in July is great and gives us a chance to work with a new community which we are excited about,” a spokesperson told CTV News Edmonton.

As of Wednesday, more than $4,000 had been raised by the campaign.