ABC of OCC - T

Operation Christmas Child began with the thought of a journey to Romania. Transport was the first problem that the founders of OCC had in 1990 – how do we get to Romania? It’s a story that has often been told, but let’s tell it again. One of the team – Dai Hughes worked for a local radio station and an appeal was broadcast to Wrexham people to help. And help they did. Not only with money and goods, but transport. Haulage companies and drivers came forward to help. On 12^th Dec 1990, the first Operation Christmas Child convoy of vehicles and 17 volunteers, left for Romania containing toys, medical aid and those first shoeboxes.

Over the years that followed Europe was hit by another human catastrophe – war in the Balkans and once again Operation Christmas Child found itself looking at traumatised and needy children. Once again trucks were packed full of aid and shoeboxes and once again volunteer drivers gave of their time to deliver comfort to suffering children. The shoebox appeal itself had taken on a life of its own and people were responding to its simple premise – fill a box of gifts and we will take it to a child for you.

But we needed to get them there quickly and in 1992, the first airlift of aid took place using a Hercules plane from Hawarden Airport in North Wales to Zagreb. The following year the massive Antonov 124 (picutred right) eventually took off from Liverpool Airport – containing an unprecedented 60,000 shoeboxes. 

In 1994 Operation Christmas Child became part of the Christian Humanitarian aid organisation, Samaritan’s Purse and was exclusively about shoeboxes. A global organisation, its transport systems were already in place in far flung places in Asia and Africa. 

Shoeboxes were delivered not just in trucks and vans, but a variety of vehicles and creatures as they reaches more remote areas where poverty and need were a part of everyday life for people. So it was not unusual for helicopters, sledges, boats, camels, bikes and even elephants to be used to get the shoeboxes to where they were needed… I don’t suppose my fellow Welshmen in their transit vans expected that all those years ago…..