The holiday season roared into Halton with a slam, a punch and a message of inclusion from former WWE wrestler Tiger Ali Singh this week.
Singh arrived at Halton Regional Police Headquarters in Oakville alongside his father, Tiger Jeet Singh, to mark the start of the Miracle on Main Street campaign, which is based Milton.
“We support more than 60 different charities through this, and last year we raised more than $1 million, every penny of which went right back into supporting the community,” Singh says.
Singh and the team say that among the most important aspects of the campaign is the emphasis on inclusivity. Miracle on Main Street is primarily an initiative to ensure every child in Halton has a toy under their tree on Christmas morning, but Singh wants to make sure that both those who celebrate the holiday religiously, and those who celebrate it socially, are represented.
This year, the foundation aims to beat its total from last year and surpass $1 million.
“I think we’re going to do something really special,” Singh says. “We had an event in Brampton earlier with more than 30,000 people, and I think that will carry over to Milton and put us over the top here.”
During the presentation, Singh was joined by Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner. The Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation and HRPS have partnered for more than a decade.
“There will be all sorts of things for the family and kids to enjoy,” Tanner says. “But it’s really all about giving back to the community, and coming together at this special time of year. It can be a difficult time of year for some people. We just want to make sure no child gets left behind.”
Donations of new, unwrapped toys, gift cards and cash are being accepted at HRPS headquarters, as well as at Police Service locations in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Georgetown. There are also Cram a Cruiser events scheduled at Canadian Tire stores in Halton's four communities over the next two weekends. For a complete list of dates and locations, visit the HRPS website.
The Miracle on Main Street event is set for Dec. 9 from 2 to 8 p.m. in downtown Milton, with free amusement rides, food and drinks, vendors, stage performances, a petting zoo, pony rides, and more. Admission is free, provided attendees bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the cause.
The Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation – founded by Ali and named for his father – started in 2010 after Singh saw his nephew beat leukemia. Family has been at the forefront of the foundation since it started. During the presentation, Singh said the values his mother instilled in him are what's guiding the foundation.
“We are a product of our parents, and she is all about love, and embracing the differences,” Singh says. “She always said the differences make us stronger. When she immigrated to Canada in the '70s, she came for better opportunities for herself and her children. On Christmas, Easter or Halloween, she didn’t turn a deaf ear. She knew it didn’t make her any less of a person and she wasn’t turning against her South Asian festivals, but was embracing and enriching her children.”
