A group of hard-working elves is bringing the Christmas spirit to northern Saskatchewan this year.
Children North, a family support organization in La Ronge, is shipping roughly 1,700 gifts to families in 12 northern communities.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Daina Lapworth, Children North’s executive director.
“We’re not sure what Christmas is going to look like this year, so it’s nice to be able to just have some gifts and some board games and gingerbread houses and some fun stuff to do as a family.”
The first shipment of gifts was flown to Wollaston Lake on Wednesday morning, she said, with more arriving in other northern communities over the next two weeks.
Community members and organizations donated about $17,000 to ensure northern families have a gift or two under the Christmas tree this year.
“We’re just overwhelmed and very grateful,” Lapworth told Global News.
Holiday shopping isn’t an easy task in remote and fly-in communities at the best of times, but Lapworth said the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more challenging.
“Some of the communities are shut down,” she said.
“It’s nice that we can help some families… without them having to go out and go shopping.”
Local RCMP are holding onto the gifts until Christmas Eve when members will play Santa and distribute the haul.
Sgt. Josh Hallett is going to help deliver gifts in the La Ronge area.
“I’m happy to be a part of the initiative,” he said.
“Some of the communities are quite far from any major centres, and just simply accessing Christmas gifts is not easy.”
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