Christmas truly is a magical time of the year, a long-awaited night by many. Children are especially excited to receive gifts from their parents and Santa Claus. But some children are not as fortunate. They might receive very few gifts or even none at all. Gifts are a second priority for some families, while necessities like food, water, and heat come first.

Realizing the hardships poor families face, Trinity senior Christian Carr decided to do something about it. Carr made a video to promote his new idea, one that received an unexpected reaction. Carr’s video came about by way of a very different original intention.

Carr said, “In November 2018, I made an animation (video) as a hobby. I made this animation to gain popularity in the sneaker Twitter community as well as possibly get some free stuff from these companies. I am a sneaker reseller; I resell exclusive limited clothing and shoes at a higher price than retail. While finishing the animation, I realized that this video would be seen by thousands, so I decided to use the platform for good. So, I kickstarted Chef Santa 2018.”

Carr reached out to myriad companies and friends for possible donations. He contacted companies that sold children’s toys, looking for items to donate. Carr was shocked by the response.

Carr said, “I reached out to over 50 companies who specialize in assisting people to attain these exclusive items, hoping to get a few responses back. To my surprise, over 30 companies responded, donating their various virtual products. I then auctioned off these various products through Twitter, raising over $4,000 for six different causes.”

Christian told his family of his plans for Chef Santa when they were at dinner. They were a little surprised but fully supportive. His father, Steve Carr, knew exactly why Christian wanted to start this charity. He said, “(Christian) wanted to make a difference. He has a big heart.”

After Carr collected all the donated money, he went to multiple stores to purchase items. Steve went along with him on the shopping trips.

Christian said, “We went and shopped at the Payless shoe store and picked out a bunch of shoes. It was like 20 or 30 pairs of shoes. Then we also went to Walmart and shopped for what seemed like several hours, with multiple carts full of toys.”

Steve and the rest of the family are very proud of Christian’s work.

He said, “I am extremely proud. It is very heartwarming, very exciting to share with the rest of the family and friends. It was inspirational.”

Trinity senior and a close friend of Christian, Will Blythe, helped and donated to Chef Santa. Blythe said, “Chris is a good person. He cares a lot about other people; he is a very selfless person.”

Blythe is proud of his friend’s charitable actions, which he said have inspired him. Blythe said, “He went out of his way to help others at such a young age.”

Chef Santa’s $4,000 went to seven different charities:

* Golden Arrow – according to their website, “The Golden Arrow Center provides clothing, baby gear, baby food, formula, diapers and toys to mothers and their children through age six. It serves about 150 families each month, including about 350 children.”

* Toys for Tots– according to their website, “The Foundation provides the leadership, funding, and support needed for successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns.”

* St. Elizabeth Charities – according to their website, “St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities is a non-profit human service agency, serving all of Southern Indiana and Metro Louisville. With a deep respect for all life, we are dedicated to providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our community. We provide comfort and quality services to those in need, and we strive to foster an attitude of self-sufficiency in each of our clients.”

* Jacob Starr’s Go Fund Me – A fundraiser to help pay his mother’s medical bills after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

* Mental Health Association of America – according to their website, “Mental Health America  – founded in 1909 – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.”

* Camp Simcha – “It’s what every child deserves, and what Camp Simcha delivers to children and teens with cancer and other blood disorders. Our mission is to bring childhood back to children who lost it when they were diagnosed. To do that, we mix the best of camp activities – sports, arts and crafts, swimming and boating, camp shows, special events and activities – with the leadership of trained and compassionate counselors who specialize in keeping campers laughing from early morning to late at night.”

* Catholic Charities – “Catholic Charities of Louisville is the social-service arm of the Archdiocese of Louisville. We provide help and create hope for the poor and vulnerable through a wide range of programs, assisting clients of all races, backgrounds and beliefs. Our service area includes 24 counties throughout Central Kentucky.”

Trinity senior Will Blythe talks about Christian Carr’s Chef Santa.