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Christmas Shoebox Appeal

in the Royal!

The students of the Royal School Cavan were full of Christmas cheer earlier than usual this year as they
collected and filled shoeboxes for the Team Hope Christmas Shoebox appeal. In October Miss Argue,
Miss Glynn and Mr Robertson alerted the 1st, 2nd and TY pupils to the charity and the concept behind
the appeal, and by the closing date in mid-November the students has collected 63 shoeboxes wrapped
in Christmas paper and filled with treats to be sent off to children to make them happy at Christmas.
Some of this work was done at home by day pupils and some was done in the evenings by the 1st & 2nd
year boarding pupils.
This year the students watched a DVD produced by Team Hope showing the difference the small gesture
of a Christmas gift from far away can make. For a lot of these children life is bleak, with little to look
forward to – just hoping to have some food on the table today. Hoping they’ll be safe tonight, and alive
tomorrow. And Christmas is just another ordinary day - nothing special, no Christmas tree, no presents.
But these shoeboxes will bring a little hope, a lot of laughter and smiles and a practical expression of
God’s love at Christmas time, for children who have very little.
No, a shoebox won’t change everything, but it will do far more than you could ever imagine, by bringing
Christmas to children who have never experienced anything like it before! And if a local leader requests
it, as an optional extra, Team Hope Ireland also give a Christmas card – explaining where their box came
from, about Ireland and the significance of the Christmas message.
Over the last thirteen years, Team Hope Ireland has sent an Irish Christmas shoebox gift to more than
2,600,000 children in twenty one countries. This is a really wonderful charity and well done to all the
pupils of the Royal School who have supported it so generously.

62 The Royal Times 2015-2016