A big man with a scraggly beard bends down to take a rose offered by the five-year-old boy.
It’s an image of Linden Shelford that his mother holds on to - watching the joy transfer from the boy clutching the red and white roses to the face of the surprised stranger.
“He just loves it, he has so much fun,” said Tania Kroot of Linden, who is spreading the gift of giving to the streets of Prince George.
“The day we handed out the roses, he was like full sprint back and forth to get every rose, biggest grin you ever saw.”
That day he handed out two dozen flowers and as each day in December passes, instead of popping a chocolate in his mouth, the five-year-old turns to a different kind of advent calendar for that day’s reward.
“It started with make a handmade card, let somebody ahead of you in line in a checkout, write a letter to Santa, ask for something for somebody else,” said Kroot, adding the Gift of Giving advent calendar has become so much more than that.
One day - Shelford’s favourite - he gave jelly beans to RCMP officers, who then thanked him publicly.
After that, Kroot said, the idea exploded.
People would call her up asking for ways to help and donating items for the two to hand out. Someone made a Facebook page in honour of her son. Now, instead of putting one of Shelford’s drawing’s on a car dashboard, they have a family membership to Two Rivers Gallery. On Monday they’re delivering presents to women at the Association Advocating for Women and Child so they have gifts for loved ones.
“It’s all about teaching the Christmas spirit and I didn’t expect it to get as big as it did and it’s kinda cool that everyone’s doing something because they see Linden doing it.”
Each day is a surprise to the community and though the two have prepared all the gift ideas in advance, they’ve had to be flexible.
“There was one day he was supposed to make a snowman at the senior centre and he had a bunch of friends lined up,” said Kroot. “That’s the day that thundershower hit. Who expected that?”
But the unexpected aspects have made for a more rewarding experience.
“It’s been a lot of work for me too but you know what, maybe I needed the reminder as well,” said Kroot, adding they plan to do the innovative advent calendar next year and have already heard from other families saying they will do the same.
David Mothus, one of the creators of Hell Yeah Prince George, is one of Shelford’s many fans.
“I want this to be the Christmas story of the season for Prince George,” Mothus said.
He’s helping to recognize the boy’s efforts through a Spirit of Christmas award. Shelford doesn’t know anything about the award, which Mayor Lyn Hall will surprise him with Monday at 3:30 p.m. at city hall.
“He’s doing stuff that a [five]-year-old would do, like jelly beans to the RCMP and stuff that people wouldn’t think of doing,” said Mothus, pointing to other child-inspired gifts like hot chocolate to strangers on the street, visiting the SPCA and handing roses to passersby.
“It’s creative, it’s beautiful. I just think it’s amazing,” he said. “This needs to be a story that people will hear.”
