'Miraculous' response to Christmas hamper plea in Yukon

Organizers of Whitehorse's Share the Spirit hamper program say their last-minute plea for donations paid off big time.

"The Yukon came through in a huge way,"said NicolasO'Carroll, of the Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society. The organization took over the program this year.

The program provides Christmas hampers with clothes, food and toys to families in need.

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O'Carroll saysafter putting the word out, earlier this week,that Share the Spirit was scramblingand falling short of needed donations, the floodgates opened. He estimates a "miraculous"$15,000 to $20,000 in donations came in, in less than two days.

"I'm a 36-year-old man, and I believe in Santa Claus because I believe in miracles," an overwhelmed O'Carroll said. "What happened the last 36 hours has been a miracle.

"We're quite happy to say all the kids will be looked after."

He says enough child sponsors also came forward,where a sponsorgets a wish list from a child, to add a gift to a family's Christmas hamper.