Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
Players from the Prince Albert Northern Bears wrapped presents during the Brunch with Santa at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre on Saturday.
The second annual Brunch with Santa at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre was another resounding success.
The Rose Garden Hospice fundraiser kicked off the Christmas season with a from Santa at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre on Saturday. Ian Dickson, the Community Engagement and Philanthropy Coordinator for the Rose Garden Hospice, said they were pleased with the turnout.
“This facility was built by the community for this community and every year we do events like this the community steps up again in such a generous and amazing way to help keep our services free for our guests,” Dickson said.
The Malcolm Jenkins Family Foundation matched up to $25,000 in donations made at the event. Dickson said they raised “well over $100,000” with more expected to come in.
“This event really just started,” he said. “We’re only an hour into it and we’re already hitting that.
“The number that we were aiming for last year was $110,000. We thought, let’s go higher this year and we were aiming for $150,000 I’m confident by the end of this event, once everything is finished up.”
Dickson said the event is filled the gap left by the former Festival of trees.
“Once they unfortunately had to stop running that event, we realized there was a gap for something,” he explained. “We want to be able to provide fundraising events that are fun for the community.”
Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
Of course, Santa Claus was there for pictures during the Brunch with Santa at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre on Saturday.
He compared Brunch with Santa to Run for Rose, which is a spring fun event for people that also serves as a major fundraiser.
“We wanted to make sure it’s family friendly and we thought this is an amazing thing,” he said. “We can help in this community and provide something very festive that’s very entertaining and enjoyable to attend as well.”
The concept was developed last year by Sharon Griffin the vice chair of the Rose Garden Hospice Board. Board member Barb Broda came up with the Christmas market concept.
“It’s been many hours of work by a lot of people to get something like this together,” Dickson said. “But it always pays off when people come out and they have a good time.”
Last year, Brunch with Santa was held following the annual downtown Santa Claus Parade. This year, organizers moved it to the week before the parade and serves as an unofficial kick-off to the Holiday season.
Dickson said Brunch with Santa exceeded expectations. The event sold out and Dickson said that’s a guarantee they’ll bring it back next year.
“We sold out pretty quickly last year. I think we were about 350 attending last year.
We’re at 500 this year, and we sold out a few weeks ago, so there was a demand for it,” Dickson said.
Even before Saturday’s event was complete, Dickson and the organizing group were already talking about ways to improve it for next year.
“It’s a short and sweet,” Dickson said. “We come out, we do the auction, you get some food, (and) there’s activities for the kids. They’re decorating Christmas cookies. They’re making Christmas cards. Santa’s here, they can get photos with Santa.”
There was also a Christmas Decor marketplace which was open after the event ended. As impressive as this year’s fundraising total was, Dickson wants to aim higher in 2026.
“Next year I want to go even bigger,” he said. “We’re going to try and have this open for at least a full day, if not two, for the marketplace area.”
Saturday’s event featured family friendly activities like cookie decorating, Christmas card crafting and Santa’s Gift Shop along with photos and visits with Santa. There was also live auction conducted by Saskatchewan Rivers MLA Eric Schmalz and a silent auction.
Mitch Holash emceed the event. Before brunch was served Rose Garden Hospice leading light Don Daschuk, whose wife Rose Daschuk the Hospice is named after, said the blessing.
Dickson spoke on the importance of Hospice care and led the standing donations. In his speech, Dickson asked individuals to stand to donate $1,000 to the Hospice.
“We asked people if they would stand and offer 24 hours of comfort, $1,000. We haven’t even had a full count yet of how many stood, but it’s more than a dozen. It was incredibly powerful,’ Dickson said.
Last year Coun. Dawn Kilmer spoke on the impact of the Rose Garden Hospice at Brunch with Santa. This year it was expanded to a video produced by Big Drum Media showing the many lives impacted
“I have endless testimonials that I could get,” Dickson said. “Everybody that comes through has had that moment of relief for their family.”
Some of those who were featured in the video also volunteered at the event showing how people want to continue to help the Hospice.
The event raised money for the hospice to continue with the mission set forth after it was founded. Dickson said that Hospice care is important and can sometimes be difficult to discuss because it involves end-of-life care.
“This is something that is unfortunately, an inevitability,” Dickson said. “But at some point in your life, you’re going to be going through end of life. We should be so fortunate to have someplace like the hospice to go to, where you can gather in large groups with your family. You can have those moments of privacy with your family.
“That’s a unique service that we have in this community. We’re the only unaffiliated hospice in this province and we’re the only hospice in Prince Albert and North Saskatchewan, so we’re servicing a large group of people.”
In just over two years the Hospice has assisted over 300 people with end-of-life care.
“It’s amazing and the number grows and grows because now more and more people know … about us and they know that it’s there’s no charge,” Dickson said.
Final fundraising totals were not known for publishing deadline.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
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