Leafs' Domi plays Santa to needy kids

Dec. 10, 2002
Ken Campbell
The Toronto Star

Sheds tough guy image to benefit homeless children Club chips in with $60,000 donation to aid his charity

When Tie Domi talks about his favourite charity, he does so wistfully. It's not that he doesn't enjoy delivering Christmas presents as much as he does punches, but he can't believe how popular the Tie Domi Toys for Kids drive has become.

"It's up to 1,000 kids this year," said the Leaf enforcer. "That's almost double from last year and that's really sad."

For the seventh straight year, the player with the hardest head on the Leafs will prove he also has the softest heart when Domi and his wife Leanne do the Santa Claus thing this morning at the Air Canada Centre, distributing gifts to children who are living in hostels and shelters.

Until this year, the money for the presents had been provided solely by Domi's charitable foundation — along with about $35,000 out of his own pocket. But this year, the Leafs are involved and have donated about $60,000 to the effort from the sale of T-shirts at games.

What discourages Domi is that he often sees the same kids year after year.

"They get bounced around (from home to home) quite a bit," he said. "But they really attach themselves to you. One year, a little girl wouldn't let go of me. She cried when I had to leave."

Domi said many of the children who take part are not terribly impressed with his celebrity because cheering for the Maple Leafs isn't exactly high on their priority list.

"They don't really even know who I am. I'm just the guy giving them toys," Domi said. "The other guys on the team will come up and say hi, but Mats (Sundin) has walked up there and nobody has really acknowledged him. They're not there to meet players and get autographs — I'm like Santa to them."

Domi said he decided to become involved when he met several homeless children and their temporary caregivers at Maple Leaf Gardens a number of years ago.

"I got involved by fluke," Domi said. "I met some of the people who were taking care of these kids and they were telling me that there are a lot of kids living in hostels and shelters at Christmas time."