Each year, Branford Counseling Center and Community Services’ (BCCS) Secret Santa program strives to provide thousands of dollars in holiday gift-giving help to Branford families in need. This year, the BCCS program has received a $10,000 boost, donated by the Ben Callahan Memorial Foundation.

With the funds, BCCS will purchase and provide retail store gift cards for families who will use them to buy holiday gifts for their children. To date, at least 130 Branford children have been signed up to be assisted by BCCS’s 2022 Secret Santa program.

The Callahan family and supporters established the foundation following the tragic July, 2017 drowning accident in which Branford resident Ben Callahan, 10, lost his life. In the years since, family and supporters additionally established the Ben Callahan Community Complex (BC2) organization, which seeks to build a local facility that will help to provide beneficial sports, health and wellness programs for youth and teens.

This year’s annual Ben Callahan Memorial Foundation/BC2 Elf Party fundraiser, held in October, helped to drive in funding for the $10,000 donation to BCCS, said party co-organizer and BC2 board member Mike Decusati. He helped organize the party with others including Ben’s mom Paula, and dad, Dave Callahan.

“This event started before Ben’s passing,” said Descuati. “When our boys were young and we were coaching them in football, we held the very first Elf Party at Dave and Paula’s house. The kids dressed up as elves and we raised a bunch of canned goods for the Branford Food Pantry.”

The annual kids’ parties grew into a popular annual event, including several held at Walsh Intermediate School. Through the years, attendees helped to drive in donations of hundreds of new, unwrapped toys to give to area youth in hospitals and in need. The party has since developed into an adult-attendance fundraiser.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, organizers said this year’s Elf Party was well-attended and was also a success due in large part to many local businesses which helped to sponsor it.

“It’s a big deal, because Ben’s birthday is December 23rd,” said Dave Callahan. “It could be really tough time of year for us, but if we’re giving back to other people, that takes grief and disperses it into little drops of joy. So that’s where we’re hoping to go with it -- to share Ben’s spirit with as many people as possible.”

While the Ben Callahan Memorial Foundation’s $10,000 donation to BCCS is its largest single holiday donation contribution, Decusati noted that a total of $16,000 has been raised and distributed by the foundation, including $5,000 provided to Branford Parks and Recreation for camp memberships and $1,000 donated to the Smilow Cancer Hospital Toy Drive.

For more information about BCCS programs, visit https://www.branford-ct.gov/departments/counseling-center To learn more about the Ben Callahan Memorial Foundation or BC2, or to make a donation, visit https://bencallahan.org/ or https://www.bc2sports.org/