Joy to the World

Acclaimed ornament designer Christopher Radko embodies true holiday spirit year-round

by Natasha Spinks

 
Twenty years ago Christopher Radko and his family gathered around the Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas together. Just as the festivities were to begin, the Radko family tree, decorated with a collection of over 2,000 mouth-blown European glass ornaments, went crashing to the ground, shattering almost every ornament. Christopher Radko was determined to replace the priceless treasures, and soon found that the quality of ornaments for sale in America wasn’t the same as those that once hung from his family’s Christmas tree. But serendipity intervened and on a trip visiting cousins in Poland, Radko encountered a man eager to revive his great-grandfather’s art of ornament-making. With this stroke of good fortune, the Christopher Radko Company was born.

Since the Christmas tree mishap, Radko’s talent and drive have opened a space for his creations in the collections of celebrated names such as Elton John, Robert De Niro, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, and Jude Law. His talent has also led him to be asked to decorate the mantel of the White House and the entire Vice Presidential residence.

While Radko’s extraordinarily creative vision and talent have earned him vast respect and admiration, he believes “the people who should be held in high esteem are the people who make a difference and impart values to the world. I want to use my talent and popularity for good.” For more than twelve years, Christopher Radko has been doing just that. Designing and creating charity ornaments and home décor, he has stepped beyond the bounds of a successful businessman and creator to a man who lives for something bigger than himself. “I was blessed at an early age with success. The challenge was finding meaning for the rest of my life,” Radko says.

His first charity ornament was created twelve years ago at the request of one of his best business representatives, who was fighting AIDS. Despite concerns as to how the ornament would be received by buyers and the public, Radko created A Shy Rabbit’s Heart ornament to raise funds and awareness for AIDS research. The unexpected success of the ornament demonstrated for him that his creations are more than just beautiful pieces of art. “I realized that ornaments could be a vehicle to raise attention and benefit important causes.”

Since A Shy Rabbit’s Heart first debuted, Christopher Radko has helped raise more than three million dollars in cash, services, and donated products for charities around the globe. His contributions have benefited worthy causes such as AIDS, breast cancer, pediatric cancer, animal care, diabetes, and heart disease. For each cause, Christopher has designed a unique ornament that echoes the voice of the cause. The causes supported by Radko are chosen according to need. “I take recommendations and requests. I look at where there is a need and where peoples’ hearts are,” he says.

Christopher’s giving and compassionate heart has also led him to start The Christopher Radko Foundation for Children. The foundation exclusively benefits The Polish Children’s Home, which also has its own ornament, In From the Cold. An important goal of Christopher’s for The Polish Children’s Home is to ensure the children feel like they are at home rather than an orphanage; he wants a place where children are able to flourish, not merely survive. In order to help achieve this goal, Radko has helped make smaller homes within the larger facility. “It’s set up in four sections, like condos, with a caregiver for each section, so children feel like they are part of a family,” he says. He has also implemented an outstanding art program for the children. “As a child, my favorite class was always art. I launched an art program so that children could learn to express themselves on an emotional level, get approval, and improve their sense of self-worth through expression.” Radko also donates his ornaments to those less fortunate. “During the holidays, everybody should have more than what they need; people should have something that brings them joy,” he says. One of Christopher’s most recent donations went to World Vision, an organization that accepts merchandise and distributes it around the world, mostly to third-world countries. Christopher was highly intrigued by this concept and sent World Vision over $200,000 dollars in Christopher Radko holiday decorations.

Whether through creating bright and beautiful ornaments, raising and giving funds, or donating personal time, Christopher Radko desires to use his services to spread joy to world. “My life is not limited to satisfying material desires. There is more to life than just focusing on myself. Being of service is what makes life most interesting and challenging to me. I want my ornaments to be of service. They become memory makers tied up in heartstrings. At the end of the day, I hope to look back and see more than a mere collection, I want to see a ripple effect of bringing joy, lifting spirits, and connecting people.”