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Local children invited to visit Santa’s Workshop
By S.L. Furedi
Santa will be moving his workshop south for a night to give Elk Valley children a chance to shop for gifts for their family.
Cora Goulet, Workshop organizer, says the event will be held in conjunction with the Sparwood Craft Fair, Friday, Nov. 20. The workshop will be open from 1-8 p.m. and is open to children age two to 12-years-old.
“It works out really well having them the same night,” Goulet says. Santa’s Workshop will be in the Sparwood Curling Club Lounge, upstairs in the Sparwood Rec Centre. Volunteers will take the kids around the tables to help them choose gifts for the important people in their lives, and then the gifts will be wrapped.
“Most things will cost a dollar, but there will be a table with gifts for 25 cents, and another one with special baskets being put together by volunteers which will go for $5.” There will also be draws for door prizes.
Last year, the event raised more than $600 for Toys for Tots; this year the money raised will be split between Toys for Tots and the Sparwood Food Bank.
To finish off the experience, kids will be invited to build a Christmas-themed craft.
Goulet says she got the idea to make it a community event after her son attended one at his elementary school years ago, and she thought it should be an annual thing. “He bought a little ceramic pig for his dad, and he was so excited about it. I love when people tell me how excited their kids were giving their gifts on Christmas day.”
Most of the items have been donated by the community and the Elk Valley Thrift Store. Goulet says the use of a storage unit was donated by Rick Pater, and Overwaitea and Anne’s Independent Grocer have been big supporters as well.
Flyers will go home with elementary school children about a week before the workshop.
Above photo: Cora Goulet, Santa’s Workshop organizer, is thrilled with the pile of donations she’s collected in the last year to use at Santa’s Workshop, a community fundraiser that helps children shop for presents for loved ones. (Photo S.L. Furedi)
