CALGARY — Growing up in Katy, Texas, Christmas was a special time for Bo Levi Mitchell.

There were brothers, sisters and cousins. Presents under the tree. Plenty of food. Lots of laughs.

At the time, Mitchell had no idea his Christmas reality was only a dream for many children.

“Those were some of the best days of childhood, waking up and seeing the presents from Santa,” said the Calgary Stampeder quarterback. “You start moving through life, you kind of realize that there are a lot of people out there that don’t have it as well off as you do.

“The thought of kids waking up without Christmas.”

A Katy, Texas native at heart, Bo Levi Mitchell now makes his home in Calgary (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Last year, Mitchell and his wife Madison decided they wanted to make Christmas special for a couple of less fortunate Calgary families. Mitchell’s Miracle Day was born.

“It’s a little bit of a Christmas miracle, we hope, for two young kids and two families that are in pretty dire need,” explained Mitchell.

Working through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, the Mitchells select two children who are encouraged to make a list of items they want for Christmas. Mitchell and his wife then purchase those items.

Bo Levi and Madison also reach out to the local business community seeking donations for the families. They collect gift cards from restaurants and for movies, gas and food. They also gather zoo passes plus tickets to Calgary Flames NHL games and Roughneck lacrosse matches.

On a Saturday prior to Christmas, the Mitchells take the children and go on a shopping spree, picking out presents for the entire family. They all go for lunch, then some bowling. Later in the day, the children receive the presents they asked for.

“We kind of teach them . . . the feeling of giving,” said Mitchell. “This allows the family to not just have one good day . . . but kind of make the holidays a little bit easier.”

This year the Mitchells received more than 55 donations for the families. Collecting them made for a busy but rewarding day as the couple stopped to talk with fans and sign autographs.

“It’s definitely worth the driving,” said Mitchell. “We get to meet each fan.”

“We felt it was important to not only show loyalty to the city but also the team, to show them we truly want to make an impact and put roots down.”

Bo Levi Mitchell

Mitchell’s third season as a starting quarterback was his best, landing him MOP honours (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

What amazes Mitchell is the number of people facing their own financial struggles but who are still willing to donate some money.

“You feel bad taking it from those people, but at the same time, they are wanting to help out,” he said. “They see the true meaning of the cause and they want to be part of it.

“That’s the biggest thing. This isn’t just my wife and I. It’s an entire city that is getting together to change two families’ lives.”

Mitchell credits Madison, who he met while attending Eastern Washington University, for coming up with the idea of Mitchell’s Miracle Day.

“My wife is a very giving, caring person,” he said. “The entire time I have been up here, she’s wanted to start something. She’s pushed me to find something.

“The reason we do it is, we were both blessed with mentors, people we look up to. Brothers and sisters and good parents that taught us right from wrong. Not everybody gets that. We thought if there was a way to give back in Calgary, a city that has given so much to us in our short time here.”

Mitchell is involved in several charities. Besides being a big brother himself, he sits on the Big Brothers Big Sisters board and participates in Police Recreational Youth Mentoring Experience Events.

He has Bo’s QB Club, where he hosts 10 to 15 kids at Stampeder home games. He’s also involved with Vecova, a non-profit society that works with people with developmental disabilities, and YouthLink Calgary, which encourages young people to confront issues and make positive life choices.

Mitchell’s charity work has earned him the Herm Harrison Memorial Award the past two seasons. The award goes to a Stampeder player who distinguishes himself through community service.

The Stamps’ Cinderella season ended with a defeat in the 104th Grey Cup (The Canadian Press)

Mitchell and Madison — the couple is expecting a baby in February — decided a couple of years ago to make Calgary their year-round home.

“It was important to us that wherever we are, we’re not just there for the football season and then we’re out of there,” he said. “This is where we make our living. There are so many people out there that do things for us.

“We felt it was important to not only show loyalty to the city but also the team, to show them we truly want to make an impact and put roots down.”

Mitchell was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the Stampeders to a 15-2-1 record in 2016. With Mitchell starting, Calgary had a 14-game win streak and 16-game unbeaten streak.

The 26-year-old completed 412 of 606 passes for 5,385 yards, 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He was named a CFL All-Star and was a Shaw Top Performer of the Month for both July and August.

Mitchell’s Cinderella season struck midnight in the Grey Cup when the heavily favoured Stampeders were upset 39-33 in overtime by the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Mitchell completed 28 of 41 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions.

Working on his Christmas charity helps make Mitchell thankful for the good things in his life but it doesn’t erase the memory of the Grey Cup loss.

“That pain is not going to go away because of any kind of event you do,” he said. “That’s something that is going to go away on the football field or the weight room.

“It causes a little bit of a distraction. It kind gets your mind focused on something else so you’re not thinking about certain plays or certain throws you wish you could have back. The Grey Cup is in Ottawa next year. What better way to get a little bit of revenge.”