As we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, we would like to share a story with you to help get you in the spirit of things.

Now reporter Amy Reid was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who wanted to help after she began collecting donations for a friend of hers who lost his home in a Langley apartment fire.

Surrey RCMP Constable Josh Waltman was one of them.

Waltman had recently raised $170 through the Whalley community police office for the Surrey Christmas Bureau. It’s something he’s done for different Whalley-based non-profits for the past eight years.

This year, Waltman connected with the owner of Langley’s Toy Traders, Matt Purdy, to help the Surrey Christmas Bureau. When Waltman arrived to pick up the toys last week, Purdy didn’t take his money and instead donated more than $1,000 in toys – and instructed Walkman to donate the money he’d raised to the Christmas Bureau as well.

Waltman then connected Reid to Toy Traders.

“If we each threw a couple bucks at him, he would probably hook us up,” he said. “I’ll put in $30 to $40 if that’s cool.”

They agreed to both put in $40.

Later that day, Waltman came back to say Purdy said he’d give them toys at wholesale – and throw a bunch of extras in. Then, he informed Waltman that Toy Trader employees are going to match their $80.

Just one of the many ways our community helps brighten the lives of others.

The Now