Mr. Gary Dean began working for the paper in 1955 in the advertising department when the newspaper office was located on Canterbury St. The Empty Stocking Fund was on the radio at this time. Mr. Len Rudolph was in charge of the fund at that time. When Mr. Dean began to work at the paper, it was expected that all employees assist. In 1960, Mr. Rudolph retired and Mr. Dean took over.
Jacob: What is your favourite memory of the Empty Stocking Fund?
Mr. Dean: Working with the people, all of the volunteers. I made so many friends, still to this day. On Christmas Eve we would pack large paper bags with labels for distribution. There are over 100 volunteers every year.
Jacob: Why did you start helping?
Mr. Dean: I was told I was helping/volunteering and it became a tradition. Just like me, all the employees had to help. The same people every year did certain things; one girl looked after calling the volunteers, those on the telephones, another person called the accounting workers, crew, etc. I enjoyed it.
Jacob: Did you know anything about my great-great grandfather, Henry “Dutch” Ervin, the founder of the fund?
Mr. Dean: No, he was not at the paper at the time I was, but I knew about him from the stories in the paper and how it began.
Jacob: Can you tell me more about the Empty Stocking Fund and your experiences?
Mr. Dean: When I began working for the fund, it was on radio on the Uncle Bill radio show. It was broadcasted in the basement of the Old Pythian Castle (the Knights of Pythieas) on Union St. (the building was where the Union Jack flag 3D art is, between the Loyalist House and Brunswick Square parking garage entrance.) My first job helping was to run the pledge cards from the phones to the announcers. We provided food for the volunteers (turkeys were cooked) and lots and lots of peanut butter sandwiches! It was crazy...choirs did more than one song to fill up time slots.
In 1957, the television cameras started to record and there was “peeking in” for a few minutes that year, then the following years, 2-3 hours, to finally the whole show was telecasted. In more recent years, the telecast was hosted in Brunswick Square,for about 15 years. It was sort of neat having it there as it was busy with lots of people around. The Telephone Co. and Global TV were handy, which was great. Then, Rogers TV took over, which is not as accessible to NBers now. ALL the money goes directly to the fund; none is kept by the paper.
Jacob: Where did you get all of things for the people the fund helped?
Mr. Dean: In January and February we began to order. We contacted T.W. Graham, a local supplier. I ordered $90 000 worth of the clothes with a range of sizes of shirts, socks, tights, hats, mitts, jackets and toys. We used the previous lists of children, as the same kids were served year after year. We knew that if they were a size 2, for example, the previous year, we would order the next size this year. We also ordered from Ben’s Clothing Store and ordered candy, oranges, apples and raisins from a local produce store. The companies would order and everything would arrive in August. They would sort and store it and deliver to us at the paper in late November. We would pack the bags in local churches, or where ever we could find the space. These companies were amazing as they wouldn’t expect payment until we got the money from the actual telethon day. We had to raise the money, over $140 000, hoping we would got enough to pay our bills! The businesses carried us! They took such a risk!
Jacob: How many lives/children are helped by the fund each year?
Mr. Dean: 2500 children are served each year. 1700 names are gathered early, but 800 names always came in later.
The names are collected through the local churches. There is an advertisement in the paper, and then the families contact their local church to register. We then made stickers for the distribution bags with the children’s names, ages and sizes. The volunteers then set up an assembly line to fill the bags. Each child receiving some clothing items, a toy and the treats. The parcel is meant to supplement their Christmas and help, not be the only items the children would receive.
Jacob: Have you ever heard from any families and how the fund had made a difference in their lives?
Mr. Dean: There has been many letters of gratitude, mainly to the paper and to the local churches. Jacob: What has happened to the Good Fellows Fund?
Mr. Dean: The fund that was collected, called the Good Fellows Fund was a fund that provided the local churches (80 churches) with $200-400 each to help families in any way they wanted, either sponsor a family or help many. The fund was stopped in 2004.
Jacob: How much money has the fund raised over the years?
Mr. Dean: I don’t know that, but it is millions! When I began volunteering, pledges were 25-50cents, and five dollars was a big pledge. In 1960, local businesses and firms would donate $50, which was huge! Now, $1000 is the norm for businesses.
What I find so interesting is that 94-95% of the pledges are paid each year! It is not that we call anyone, but we would look through the pledge cards at the office and we figured out this percentage. It is wonderful that so many people honour their pledge.
Jacob: Tell me about some funny stories and special memories.
Mr. Dean: Over the years, there were many snowstorms...buses with school children were late and we had to fill time in!
One year,when we were broadcasting from Brunswick Square, we had kids dropping pennies from many floors above on us! It wasn’t funny at the time, as it hurt, but now it is. We had to go and search to find them and have them stop.
Another year, while at broadcasting from Brunswick Square, there was a wedding in the Delta Hotel’s ballroom. The bride and groom were being piped into the reception with bagpipes! We couldn’t even hear the choirs singing! We just laughed and continued on until it stopped.
One time when we were being covered by Global Television, the man in the Halifax station forgot to switch the show over from their regular broadcasting to our show. No one realized for ten minutes!!
Another funny story was how each year every volunteer wears a nametag. When we were beginning our broadcast, I noticed everyone, all volunteers and crew members had my name, Gary Dean on their nametag! We all had a good laugh!
We always had many laughs and fun. When large pledges would come in, everyone would holler and cheer. In my beginning years, five dollars was a big pledge. Along time ago, Tim Horton’s would donate $15 000, which was huge, now they donate $45 000+!
A very vivid memory for me was in the first year I was organizing the fund. It was Christmas Eve and a lady called me at 10pm at my house, where I lived on King Street East. She was crying and had nothing for her children for Christmas morning. I didn’t know what I could do, but I got dressed and gathered what was left and met her to give her a package. It was special as I did my best to make their Christmas a bit better.
I began working for the paper in 1955; I looked after the Empty Stocking Fund from 1960 to 1998, retiring from the paper in 1998. In 2010, I returned to volunteer, looking after the door and I will be there again this year! A total of 49 years making a difference.