TORONTO - A banner covered in smudged pictures of Santa and scribbles of "I love you" and "I miss you" had military families crowding around a bowl of crayons and creating a flood of messages in Toronto on Thursday.

"I think it's good because then the soldiers won't have to miss family a lot, because they have a piece of their home to remember during all those long moments of fighting," said 11-year-old Matthew Boyes after penning his own thoughts on the large poster, which will be sent to Afghanistan where his father is serving.

Families, friends and Toronto residents were among the dozens of people adding their sentiments to the sprawling banner at the Eaton Centre.

The three-year-old project, in which banners are unveiled during ceremonies at Sears stores in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Quebec City and Halifax, has become a tradition for military families.

"It makes such a difference to the troops, knowing that people back home support what they're doing and are encouraging them and thinking of them," said Karen Favron, whose 22-year-old son Joel will miss his first family Christmas as he serves overseas until May.

"It's hard," said Favron, pausing to add that her close-knit family will "definitely miss him Christmas morning around the Christmas table and around the tree."

Favron said she imagines her son will scramble towards the banners to catch a glimpse of his name once they are draped around Canada House at Kandahar Airfield.

For Mike Bulger, whose son served in Afghanistan, signing the banner gave him the chance to bring the troops a little reminder of home.

"They have a real soft spot for the things kids write," said Bulger, whose other son has just started a tour of duty.

But it's Lt.-Col Dwayne Hobbs who knows first-hand the significance of seeing the banners festooned around Canada House, a community centre on the base where soldiers can relax.

"For me, being from Toronto and to know where this banner was and where it was hung up, in the Eaton Centre, a place I've known since I was a kid, it connects me back," said Hobbs, who is the chair of the board of directors for the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre.

"I think that's important, particularly when you're homesick."

Hobbs remembers being in Afghanistan and seeing the banners plastered to the walls.

Although Hobbs couldn't find his own name on the banner, he said it was a powerful feeling to receive the warm sentiments from home and from the community.

"There's a piece of Canada with them," he said.