Every Christmas, Santa visits many homes.
In the Okanagan, the white-bearded man sometimes takes special requests to visit children at their homes leading up to Christmas. There, children sit on his knee from the comfort of their homes, and tell the jolly man how the holidays are going, how theyāre doing in school, and what they hope to get Christmas day.
However due to COVID-19, sitting on Santaās knee isnāt always possible. Thanks to modern technology though, he has managed to keep in touch.
Just today, Santa spoke over video chat with 11 families across the country, including several in the Ā鶹AV area.
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Seeing the childrenās faces light up when he arrives at their door, or in this case when he pops up on their computer screen, is Santaās favourite part about these one-on-one visits.
He takes a lot of pride in what he does, and says every child he speaks with is special. He explained he chooses to give back because people have given him much over the years.
āItās in the spirit of giving backā¦ letting other people be happy as well, thereās a need for that in the world,ā said Santa over the phone, in between virtual visits on Christmas Eve.
He has been connecting with families virtually over the Zoom app. He hopes his visits can brighten peopleās spirits during a challenging time.
āItās been special, in a different way than normal, but still special nonethelessā¦ Iāve had a lot of people say they canāt wait until the pandemicās over and Santa can come again.ā
Santa himself will be staying safe on Christmas day, and like many, wonāt be visiting friends. He looks forward to spending time with his family.
āJust because Iām Santa, doesnāt mean I get any special favours, none at all.ā
To chat with Santa, contact his Ā鶹AV-based communications coordinator, Ric Bach, at santaric.hohoho@gmail.com.
READ MORE: 70 new cases of COVID-19 in Interior Health
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: phil.mclachlan@kelownacapnews.com
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