North Bay Santa Fund elves were hard at work packing up gift baskets Monday night at the Troy Armoury.
Santa Fund Co-Chair Scott Clark is watching over Packing Night as Co-Chair Lachlan McLachlan is in British Columbia spending the holidays with family.
At least 300 people showed up to take turns pushing carts or loading bins then moving bins for the gift baskets. Clark was beaming about the community’s holiday spirit. “There is a huge line-up of volunteers.”
There will be about 700 gift baskets delivered for Santa this year. Clark explains the gift baskets are full of goods. “We’ve worked with a dietician to provide not only Christmas dinner but also to include what’s needed to sustain them over a week. So there is sugar, salt and baking powder, juice and cereal to help make breakfast, lunches and dinners.”
"A lot of people come out for packing night. It's special for some to come out as families and help out during their holiday time together. There's a lot of history here. Some have been doing it for decades."
Volunteer Shelley Gaudreau says she's been helping at the Santa Fund for 55 years starting as a three-year-old. She continues to take part because “it’s a tradition in the Gaudreau family.”
The event has been hosted at the Troy Armory since 1993. John Martin says he is proud of the efforts of the junior rank reservists. “The troops have been doing a phenomenal job since 8 am.”
Scott Clark says the gift hampers will be under close guard Monday night with delivery planned for Tuesday morning. Over a hundred volunteers are scheduled to take part in the morning. The military, the service battalion and the Algonquin regiment, drive the hampers in big trucks to city areas. Then civilian volunteers help get the baskets to where they are needed.
Check out Santa Fund Workshop photos.
