Secret Santa Shoppe (photo courtesy of Tracy Drysdale)Secret Santa Shoppe (photo courtesy of Tracy Drysdale)
Sarnia

Pathways Secret Santa Shoppe celebrating 20 years

Pathways Health Centre for Children will welcome little shoppers into its Murphy Road facility for seven days over the next two weeks.

The organization is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Secret Santa Shoppe this year.

Donor relations lead Marcy Draker said children can bring a shopping list to help them pick out pre-wrapped gifts for everyone on their list.

"They are assisted with a Pathway's elf helper," said Draker. "They are able to shop independently for their loved ones, for their pets. They exit the shop with the gift wrapped, with a To/From tag and when the holidays arrive all of the loved ones get to open the gifts and the only one that has ever known what was purchased, was that child."

Draker said gifts are priced between $10 and $20.

"We're shopping all year through, we're wrapping all year through. We could not do this without our sponsors, without our volunteers. They are incredible. They offer a ton of their time from January right up until this event ends," she said.

Draker said the event is great for children between the ages of two and 14-years-old.

"Parents and caregivers are still in the same room as their child. There's just a little area so that that child has that independence to pick something out without it being known," Draker said.

While caregivers wait, warm beverages and 50/50 tickets will be available for purchase. There will also be a basket auction and the odd surprise visit from Santa Claus and Elsa from Frozen.

The Secret Santa Shoppe runs on Friday, November 15 (a professional activity day), November 16 and November 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A special "Shop with the Sarnia Sting" night will be held Tuesday, November 19 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On Friday, November 22 the shop is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, November 23 it's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 24 it's open from 9 a.m. to noon.

While walk-ins are welcome, registration is encouraged for the special event with the Sting, especially if you want a member of the team to be your elf helper.

Pathways hopes to raise $50,000 from the event to support its programs and services, which help children with physical, developmental and communication challenges.

For more information, or a link to register, visit pathwayscentre.org

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