The 20th annual Secret Santa Shoppe opens on Friday evening.
It's the largest fundraiser for Pathways Health Centre for Children on Murphy Road in Sarnia.
Event Lead Marcy Draker said the holiday event provides a magical opportunity for children to pick out gifts for their loved ones, and even their pets.
"Children of all ages can come shop with us," said Draker. "We catch the littles when they're around two to three years old, but even teenagers sometimes will still often come and spend time with us."
Draker said children are guided through the shoppe with the help of a cheerful elf.
"The child comes in with a shopping list. They have an idea of who they're looking to buy for and how much, roughly, they would like to spend," Draker said. "They get to see the sample item that's unwrapped and then they take the wrapped item behind the sample one, put a To: / From: tag on it, put it into their bag, and it goes home and it gets to be opened up over the holiday season. Only that child knows what the gift is."
Draker said caregivers can relax and enjoy refreshments or participate in a 50/50 raffle while the kids shop.
"We mostly have our gifts priced between $10 and $20," she said. "We try not to go over the $20 threshold to make shopping appropriate and affordable for our families, however it is a fundraiser, so we are looking to reach a $50,000 fundraising goal if possible."
Draker hopes to get 1,000 or more children come through the shoppe.
"Last year, we were just under 1,000 and before COVID we were just over 1,000. So, we really hope that the community will come and spend some time with us. This is a really fun opportunity for children to have some independence in picking gifts for loved ones and also to support Pathways."
The shoppe will be open on Friday, November 14 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16, it's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A special "Shoppe With The Sarnia Sting Night" on Tuesday, November 18 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. has already sold out.
The shoppe concludes on the PA Day weekend.
"Friday, November 21, we will be open all day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on our last day, Sunday, November 23, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.," said Draker.
Surprise visits from Elsa and Santa Claus are planned and while walk-ins are welcome, (excluding the special night with the Sting) Draker said pre-registered guests will enjoy priority entry.
To pre-register, click here.
Draker said she's grateful for their sponsors, volunteers and the community for supporting the event each year.
