"This is Toronto's oldest running Christmas party for children and we are celebrating 80 years," said Bert Steenburgh, with the Rotary Club.

Tom Romanuk and his wife brought their son Michael, who has cystic fibrosis, to the Fairmont Royal York, where the party was held.

"It allows us to get out and be a family and watch our son smile, which brings us joy. Every smile we get out of him gives us one," said Romanuk.

The kids enjoyed a lunch of chicken fingers, fries, macaroni and cheese, but the carrot sticks didn't go as quickly.

Ten-year-old Giammichael Barci, who has cystic fibrosis, couldn't wait to see Santa.

"This is our first time here and it is amazing. Giammichael is enjoying himself and so is the whole family," said mom Mimmo Barci.

Thomas Canning, 6, has cystic fibrosis, and was "shell shocked" when he arrived at the party, said mom Linda Canning.

"He isn't use to seeing this kind of activity. This is our first time here and I'm impressed with the level of organization and effort they put into this," Canning said.

"It is a great outing for us. As a parent of a child with CF, it is hard to take them to events."

A Rotary volunteer took Thomas in his wheelchair to the dance floor and rolled him around to a live band.

"They really cater to this population. It is good to be around like families. There is a camaraderie," Canning said.

Lucita Charles, whose seven-year-old son Mataeo has cystic fibrosis, agrees it is uplifting to be around families with problems she can relate to.

"We are bonding and socializing and it feels good to be around families who have struggles like me," Charles said.

"It is like having a support group and we can relax and enjoy time with Mataeo."

It is just great to be spending time with the children instead of fighting crime, said Toronto Police Staff-Sgt. Kevin Suddes.

"The kids get excited to see the police here and they remember it which builds a positive relationship. The kids come every year and look forward to the snowball fight with us," Suddes said.

Const. Kathy Taylor with the Toronto police K-9 unit brought her partner Cyprus, a seven-year-old yellow lab.

"The kids get a real kick out of having him here and Cyprus loves it, too," Taylor said.

Adam Reid, a seven-year-old legally blind boy, loved meeting Cyprus.

"This is my second time here and I love the food, meeting the dog and I saw Spider Man dancing," Adam said.

Anna Sisask, a volunteer clown at the event, said she loves giving back to the community at such gatherings.

"These kids are our future and I want to see them happy. This reminds myself how lucky I am and how important family is at Christmas," Sisask said.