For the children who are spending the holiday season in the hospital, Santa Claus will look a little different than in years past.
This year, real estate agent Dan Strickland will be donning the jolly red suit and beard to distribute toys to young people at the University Hospital of Northern B.C. instead of Kinsmen Club of Prince George volunteers.
After more than 40 years of spreading Christmas joy, the club has had to pass on the jovial task due to financial constraints.
"The Kinsmen Club had to put a new roof on their building," explained Rochelle Sucholotosky, a club member as well as a member of the Dan Strickland real estate team. "Budgetary wise, there were no funds to do that, so Dan Strickland volunteered to step up and do the Santa visit and purchase the gifts for the children."
After purchasing presents and candy canes, Strickland, Sucholotosky and colleague Heather Chalmers will visit the hospital on Dec. 13 to pass out the goods on the pediatric floor, youth psychiatric and detox areas, as well as in the emergency room.
Sucholotsky, who has been a Kinsmen Club member for six years, said she is unsure whether this will be a permanent transition. "The club had done it for more than 40 years. It just wasn't in the budget this year," she said.
The Kinsmen Community Complex was built in 1984 and expanded in 1986 to include a gymnasium and kitchen. It hosts events such as weddings, birthdays, concerts and dances, with all profits from the club returned to the community.
However, the building is now in a state of disrepair, requiring about $100,000 in work to replace the roof on the small hall and gymnasium, upgrade the kitchen and paint the gymnasium and upgrade the interior decor among other tasks.
Back in August, the club asked city council for their support in providing a repayable loan on the amount of $60,000 as well as in their application for a $30,000 grant from Northern Development. Council asked them to come up with a business plan and the club was scheduled to return to the chambers with a reduced request for $28,000 to repair the roof.
