Hundreds show up to wrap up Santas Anonymous

Every flat surface at the Regina Food Bank was covered with wrapping paper on Saturday morning for CJME’s Santas Anonymous wrap day.

The building was filled with people wall-to-wall shimmying past each other to grab presents, find somewhere to wrap them and then put them away to be delivered.

Hundreds of people showed up – from toddlers to seniors. They wrapped more than 4,000 gifts for 973 families in Regina who need a little help putting gifts under the tree this year.

Debbie Rodger said she has been helping with the wrap day for more years than she can count.

“It’s just part of my Christmas tradition. It’s great to be with friends and now I bring my grandchildren with me too.”

Rodger was there with her daughter and granddaughter, Danica. Danica said her favourite part of wrapping presents is getting tape for her mom.

Fitting in and among the people wrapping presents were several kids wearing Prairie Fire hockey jerseys. The team came as a group to help out.

“I think it was important for our team to realize the importance of giving back. I think it teaches teamwork, it teaches non-selfishness, and (we) wanted to help out the community,” explained Bill Krizysic, who helped get the team there.

He said he heard about the wrap day on the radio, and thought it would be a great team building exercise.

“Everyone is excited, faces are smiling. It’s great.”

Brody Cockwill is one of the 12-years-olds on the team. He said it was actually pretty fun.

“You get to wrap presents, and help kids that don’t get Christmas.

Val Wiks is with the Salvation Army. She’s been called the force behind the Santas Anonymous campaign.

“It’s Christmas, and this is how it goes.”

Wiks said there were even more people this year, and there were some lined up to get in almost an hour ahead of when the doors were supposed to open.

“People come early so they get their space, because every flat spot has got somebody wrapping for somebody else.”

This is an event that is important for Wiks.

“There’s some families that can make a go of it the rest of the year, but come Christmas time, they just can’t do it. So, we, as a community, can help those people, so that their kids can have a good Christmas. ‘Cuz that’s what it’s about, kids having a great Christmas.”