THE woman behind the creation of magical Christmas presents for children who won’t otherwise get any gifts, has said she is humbled, again, by the generosity of the West Cork people.

Sally Daly from Skibbereen has been organising the Shoebox appeal for 26 years, creating delightful gifts for children across the world.

A total of 3,240 shoeboxes recently left Skibbereen in trucks, bound for Albania, packed with gifts and treats for the very grateful recipients.

‘This means that 3,240 children, for whom this may be their first ever present, will receive their shoebox filled with love and gifts,’ said Sally.

Sally says she received a letter which, for her, sums up the delight that each box can bring.

‘I grew up poor in Central Europe,’ wrote the letter-writer. ‘I got a shoebox like this when I was a kid. I still remember the lime green slinky, the smell of blue soap – I didn’t even use it, I just kept it in my bed because it smelled so nice. I didn’t want to use it up. I smelled it every night for years before going to sleep. I remember the ‘lifesaver’ candy. I remember how they smelled. I remember everything. It is one of the most precious moments of my life. A gift like that for a kid from a poor family is just unbelievably impactful. There are no words to describe how happy I was.’

Sally thanked everyone who contributed to help fill the boxes, and the many volunteers who, every year, make these magical gifts a possibility. ‘The generosity of people is unbelievable,’ she said.