Laurie Parker wasn’t planning to sit on Santa’s knee, but when the invitation was extended, the Aldergrove resident laughed and took a seat.
It was the first time she had sat with Santa as a grown-up.
“That was really nice,” she said afterwards, smiling.
“I was taking a video of the reindeer [next to Santa] and he said, ‘come and sit on my knee’.”
It was part of the Aldergrove Save-On Foods store’s Christmas campaign for seniors at Jackman Manor.
On Saturday, Nov. 25, money from the by-donation Santa photos went to the “Giving Tree,” decorated with Christmas requests from the residents at Jackman.
Store manager Alana Farquhar said the annual event has become a tradition at the store.
“We’re just so excited that we’re part of the community in this way,” Farquhar told the Langley Advance Times.
Customers of the Save-On Foods store in Aldergrove, located at 26310 Fraser Hwy., can take a tag from the tree – located to the right of the store entrance – purchase the gifts, and return them unwrapped with the tag before Dec. 19.
They can also leave a donation at customer service so the gifts can be purchased.
A typical request by a manor resident listed “chocolates, candies, large men’s shirt, extra large jogging pants, and socks” as possible items.
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It all began in 2020, after a staffer at the Aldergrove store donated to a local care home, which inspired her to contact Jackman Manor to ask about getting presents to the seniors through the store.
Manor staff came back with a list of names and specific items each senior wanted for Christmas.
It amounted to 84 presents in total, enough to fill a truck, all delivered on Dec. 22 along with a basket of coffee gift cards and goodies to thank the frontline workers at the manor.
Plus, if all the names on the tree are gone by the deadline, store employees will go a step further and put together a “coffee basket” for staff at Jackman Manor.