By MATT CHANDLER
Buffalo Law Journal

Brian Biggie has the chance to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of underprivileged students in Buffalo every holiday season.

An attorney at Goldberg Segalla LLP, Biggie leads a gift campaign called Buffalo Christmas Wishes, a program he instituted five years ago to collect, wrap and distribute gifts to school children who might not otherwise have many gifts at the holidays.

The program began with Enterprise Charter School and expanded to include Niagara Charter School. Last year, the project gave gift bags filled with more than 1,600 gifts to nearly 400 needy youngsters.

This year, Biggie is expanding the program to include donations for the City Mission and its Cornerstone Manor, but he says it's the chance to make a difference in the lives of young children that drives him.

"It's a tremendous experience, and there is no part of it that isn't fun," he said. "Giving the gifts out on the last day of school to the students is just a blast."

Biggie said the support he receives from volunteers, those who purchase gifts, and those who send monetary donations is what makes the program work, and what has allowed him to expand the project in its fifth year. He said that support starts close to home with his coworkers at Goldberg.

"The firm has been incredibly supportive on the whole project," he said. "A lot of the admin staff will take their lunch throughout December and wrap gifts just to help out. It is a firm-wide response."

Jill Norton, CEO of Enterprise Charter School, says 95 percent of the students who attend the school live below the poverty line, making programs like Biggie's that much more important.

"For these families, this is a tremendous support, particularly when the students are young," she said. "They have certain ideals for Christmas and oftentimes the parents want to fulfill those ideals, but there is a lot of need, and we are so grateful Brian has reached out to our students."

Norton said the day the gifts are delivered is one of the most exciting days of the school year at Enterprise.

"It is really like Christmas," she said. "The reaction on the kids' faces when they come down and see the bags on their chairs is pretty overwhelming, and to see how grateful the families are and their reaction is amazing."

Donated items can be dropped off unwrapped at the offices of Goldberg Segalla, 665 Main St., Buffalo. To view a list of students with their gift requests, go to buffalochristmaswishes.com.