How To Save Christmas
Keeping the spirit of the season alive during a pandemic
During Christmas seasons of the past, Santa has dispatched his Helper Santas to meet with children in malls, stores and at Christmas parties, and to visit hospitals, daycares and seniors’ homes to share the magic of the season.
This year, Santa was unsure how any of this would be possible, with social distancing and group restrictions being the order of the day. He put the call out to his team of Santas for a solution, and Santa Larry, from Florida, came to the rescue with a brilliant plan. Santa Claus looked it over and gave it the North Pole stamp of approval.
It’s called “How To Save Christmas”, and it goes like this: You can book a Zoom visit with Santa for your child, who will get 15 minutes of one-on-one time with one of 100 professional St. Nick-approved Santas, including Santa Paul Hillier, whose workshop is right here in the Kawarthas.
Santa Paul sat down to explain how things had unfolded, saying “This was to be my sixth season as Santa, and then COVID-19 hit. One by one the events were cancelled – the usual events and appearances as well as my pro bono work at RMH, children’s daycares and my visits to long term care residences and retirement homes. I felt like I was going to be letting down all these wonderful people.”
“Then I got an email from Santa Claus himself, telling me he had a very important mission in mind, and I had been chosen to help carry out the plan!”
In a phone call from the North Pole, Santa Claus explained to Cottage Lifestyle magazine how he came to choose Santa Paul to join the team. “Santa Paul was the first Canadian Santa to be asked to be part of my hand-picked group called 100 Miracle Santas. Few have that rare combination of expertise, charisma, acting prowess and storytelling abilities. He easily makes this short list…Santa Paul brings not only the true character of Santa, but he also embodies the spirit of Christmas. His professionalism is unmatched.”
In order to get his workshop ready for his virtual visits, Santa Paul had to upgrade his wifi signal, and he says Integrated Solutions in Peterborough brought in high speed Xplornet internet service, saving the day for him by enabling him to be part of the project.
In addition to the 15-minute Zoom chat, you can arrange for your child to receive a letter from Santa as well as a magical bell from Santa’s Sleigh, mailed to your door. Your child also has the opportunity to be in a piece of world-class Santa art – all the details are available on the website. There you can explore all the possibilities of the program, read about each of the 100 Miracle Santas and book your own virtual visit.
And if you are looking for something a little different this year you can book a magical interactive Santa performance for your group – family, friends or co-workers – to celebrate the spirit of the season virtually, in the safety of your own homes.
Go to www.howtosavechristmas.com for more information.
