Organizers behind the Santa’s Anonymous Campaign — run through Ponoka Secondary Campus (PSC) — are looking forward to making the season brighter for residents who may need assistance this holiday season.
It’s become a well-known Christmas tradition in the community, with PSC staff, students, and volunteers marking 42 years of organizing the campaign.
“We rely heavily on our students — they are our gems. We get the students involved in everything,” said Nicole Berg, the program’s coordinator.
“We send boxes into the community to about 55 different businesses, schools, and banks — any place you can think of. So you will walk into a business and see a box that says Santa’s Anonymous donations.”
As Berg mentioned, students are involved in every step of the campaign, from disbursing the boxes to collecting them when they are full of donated items. Some of these boxes are filled up in as little as four days, she added.
“Overall, it’s a huge, huge program of coordinating student volunteers.”
Donations are taken for virtually anyone in the community who may need help, from children to teens to families.
“Only families with children under 18 can receive a gift hamper. And then everyone receives a food hamper,” she said.
“We do between about 155 and 165 hampers normally. About 80 or 90 of those are family hampers.”
Meanwhile, the community food and toy drive runs through Dec. 11. There will also be Stuff-a-Bus events at Hammy’s Foods and No Frills on Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A Charity Check Stop with the Ponoka RCMP and the Ponoka County Fire Department was held on Nov. 29 at the Ponoka Co-op Oils parking lot as well.
Looking ahead, on Dec. 13 at the Ponoka Arena there will be the Santa Showdown hockey game where PSC teachers take on Grade 12 students.
Berg said this not-to-be-missed event kicks off at 6:15 p.m.
“Our teacher Ron Labrie organizes a game between the staff and the students. It’s super fun — he organizes all of these games where they have to do things like pull a partner around the ice, or jump over sticks. There is oodles of laughter,” she said.
As to the entire campaign, Berg describes it as something of a legacy for the school and the community at large.
“We have so many volunteers in the community who are amazing, too. They phone us each year and say when can I come and help, how can I help, what can I do?
“We have a whole week where we assemble hampers, sort through gifts, and pick gifts for children so that each family has selected gifts per child. Then, we have a whole bunch of volunteers that come in and help to wrap gifts, too,” she said.
“We turn our second gym into Santa’s Workshop — it’s completely transformed from about Dec. 6 onwards. It’s buzzing.”
Everything is ultimately delivered to the community on Dec. 20.
“The students are proud to help out, and they love to help, too.”
“It’s heartwarming — it really is. You drop off a hamper, and they are tickled pink to receive it. You are just helping to spread buckets and buckets of joy, and people are so grateful,” she said, adding that cash donations can also be taken at the school office or at any of the above special campaign events.
Donation receipts are also available for the first time, she said.
For anyone who would like to donate online, head to https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92760?v2=true