It’s the final week before delivery days for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous and volunteers are desperately needed to make it a success.
Three hundred porters, or 75 groups of four, are needed before the weekend. These people will be the ones getting the gifts from inside Santas Depot to the waiting delivery drivers outside.
“This will be a team of four that’ll be assigned to one of the parking stalls,” executive director Lana Nordlund said. “And this team will be the one that goes back and forth to that parking stall, taking the gifts.”
Porters will be expected to bring gifts outside every 10 to 15 minutes and will need to be able to carry two large garbage bags weighing anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds each.
Everyone in the group needs to be at least 16 and one of the members needs to be at least 18. In other years, groups like sports teams and cadets have signed up to fill the porter roles, but with gathering restrictions in place because of COVID-19, the porter teams are just another thing that’s changing about this year’s campaign.
“This is something we don’t want to have slip through the cracks this year. Families are looking forward to this, the children and the adults,” Nordlund said.
“This is the fun part about Christmas. And we need some fun right now.”
Volunteers can sign up for the porter positions on the Santas website. Delivery days are Dec. 12 and 13.
Donations still needed
Santas is expecting to provide more than 20,000 Edmonton kids with gifts this year, which is more demand than last year. While a lot of those packages are ready to go, there are still some holes that need filling.
Also needed are gifts for girls aged 10-12.
Though Santas always welcomes toy donations, right now the charity is looking for monetary donations.
“So with delivery on on Saturday and Sunday, time is of the essence right now.”
Contactless monetary donations can be made on Santas website and toys and books can be dropped off at 12122 68 St.