Franklin Graham shares Christmas message, Operation Christmas Child goal
Franklin Graham participated in Fox News’ annual Christmas tree lighting celebration in New York Friday evening, delivering a message about faith, generosity and what he called “the first gift” of Christmas: God giving His Son, Jesus Christ.
The president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also highlighted this season’s goal of Operation Christmas Child, which will send more than 13 million of his gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 130 countries.
Graham appeared live on Fox Square alongside hosts and hundreds gathered for the channel’s holiday kickoff, displaying one of the gift boxes wrapped by his 3-year-old granddaughter.
The box, filled with a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal, school supplies and a handwritten note she helped prepare with help from her family, represented the kind of gift Samaritan’s Purse has distributed around the world for nearly 30 years.
“This year we will have about 13 million of these boxes,” Graham said. “Each one contains about 30 gifts. And what we want to teach children is the importance of giving. God gave his Son, Jesus Christ – and we want the children of the world to understand the importance of receiving a gift, and for the children who wrap them, the importance of learning to give.”
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The American Christmas tree is lit at Fox Plaza in front of the Fox News Channel studios on Friday in New York. (Théo Wargo/Getty Images)
Graham thanked Fox News employees, who packed more than 400 shoeboxes ahead of National Collection Week (November 17-24).
“Having Fox help with packing the boxes has been wonderful,” Graham said. “It’s a great partnership.”
On-stage hosts encouraged audience members to participate by scanning the QR code displayed on the screen, which directed them to the Samaritan’s Purse packing instructions.
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Franklin Graham, left, and New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan during the annual lighting of the American Christmas tree at Fox Plaza on Friday in New York. (Théo Wargo/Getty Images)
The segment took place during the faith-themed portion of the ceremony, with Graham anchoring the moment in the biblical foundation of Christmas.
“Christmas is about giving,” he said. “God gave the first gift: His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to take away our sins. At Christmas, we honor Jesus Christ and remember what He did for us.”
Operation Christmas Child, led by Samaritan’s Purse, is in its national collection week until Monday. Nearly 5,000 drop-off locations are open nationwide for families and churches to deliver packaged boxes of toys, hygiene items and school supplies.
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Franklin Graham holds one of more than 13 million gift-filled shoeboxes that will be sent to children in more than 130 countries. (Théo Wargo/Getty Images)
The project involves about 300,000 volunteers and reaches deep jungles, shantytowns, mountainside villages and more than 1,000 remote islands in the Pacific, according to Samaritan’s Purse. Shoe boxes collected in the United States are combined with gifts from around the world to reach children in difficult or isolated areas.
“At Samaritan’s Purse, we have the opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas with millions of children around the world through Operation Christmas Child,” Graham told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “I am so grateful for every person who makes this project possible, and for every shoebox that opens the door for us to tell another child the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
Families can also create a shoebox online by selecting items digitally and adding a photo or personal note.
Operation Christmas Child began in 1993 and has since delivered more than 232 million boxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. Many distributions are coordinated by local churches who combine donations with evangelism and community outreach programs.
Children fill shoeboxes with gifts for boys and girls in need in Republic, Missouri. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)
“It’s an opportunity for kids to give to someone else without expecting anything in return,” Graham said. “We live in a selfish world, but this teaches the next generation the importance of giving.”
As the lights of the Christmas tree reflected off the crowds gathered in midtown Manhattan, Graham’s message linked the ceremony to why millions of families participate in the annual shoebox drive.
“God loved this world so much that he gave his only Son,” he said. “That’s what Christmas is all about.”
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Anyone can pack a shoebox in person or create one online at SamaritansPurse.org/OCC-FoxNews. A QR code provided by Samaritan’s Purse can also be embedded or displayed on screen.
