Calgary family makes and sells reindeer statues, donates funds to charity

Holiday festivities are in the air, and for one Calgary family, they're giving back this Christmas season by selling decorative reindeer statues for charity.

It's the third year the Williams family have dusted off their chainsaws, grabbed some logs and plywood and got to work at making the festive figures.

Bryn Williams, who is 15, says he had a lot of fun working on the project with his family.

"We had like a template one and we took a jigsaw and we drew all of these little antlers and all the parts for it," he told Jenny Howe on the The Homestretch.

The family says that all of the money raised from the sale of the reindeer will be donated to Inn From the Cold, which provides emergency shelter and supportive housing for Calgarians.

"It feels good to be giving back to the community, and hopefully I can make a difference here," said Bryn.

His mom, Jo Williams, says the reindeer are painted and decorated so that they have a customized look.

"Each one is a surprise to me at the end of the decorating process," she said.

Jo says the idea to donate the funds to charity is the most important aspect of the project.

"We know that it's our obligation as parents to raise responsible citizens, so this project is just part of hopefully how we are doing that and sending that message."

She says it's also helped unleash creativity and encourages families to think of projects that they can do together.

The reindeer statues are priced at $100 for a regular one and $130 for a premium version. If you're interested, you can order from their website.

With files from Jenny Howe and The Homestretch.