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HOLIDAY CHEER: Christmas Eve and Day services, events /A3 Odd Fellows step up for Mustard Seed /A5 Santa touches down at Queen Alexandra /A7
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SAANICHNEWS NEWS Wednesday, December 24, 2014
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Secret Santas use old library as North Pole Travis Paterson News staff
For the past two months, more than 500 “elves” have secretly sorted, packed and prepped packages for 1,400 Greater Victoria families in the former Emily Carr Library branch at 3500 Blanshard St. The building has been vacant since the Greater Victoria Public Library branch moved into Uptown in January 2014, and until today, the location of CFAX Santas Anonymous remained a secret for security reasons. “We’ve been homeless for 37 years,” said CFAX Santas Anonymous president Dan Deringer. “Every year, we start the process again of finding a space that can accommodate us. For 2015, that starts next week.” The surprisingly nomadic charity organization provides 5,200 bags of groceries to families across the region each holiday season. For this year’s work, crews used each and every room in the Emily Carr library, one of two facilities donated to the organization. (The old North Douglas Distributors warehouse off Boleskine Road is where the final package of toys and groceries are delivered by local firefighters or picked up by receiving families.) “We’ve run this program from vacant schools, warehouses, storefronts and buildings,” Deringer said. The retired DND worker has been with Santas Anonymous for four years. Between 2011 and 2013, they were blessed with the use of the vacated Richmond elementary school. But with the current seismic upgrade schedule, Richmond is an active school once again, as George Jay elementary students have moved in. PLEASE SEE: Holiday charity, Page A3
Travis Paterson/News staff
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Christmas queue
Cloverdale Traditional School student Savanna Brandenburg, 9, joins part of a human chain of more than 200 students as they deliver non-perishable food for the Mustard Seed Food Bank. The students were clad in sleepwear because of their annual pajama day at the school. In the past eight years, Thrifty Foods’ Food for Families campaign has donated over $1 million to local food banks, and this year’s tally isn’t yet known. Donations go to the local food bank nearest to the Thrifty Foods store chosen for donations. Sidney and Central Saanich donations feed the Sidney Lions Food Bank and Thrifty Foods Colwood feeds the Goldstream Food Bank. Food for Families runs until Jan. 5 at all Thrifty Foods locations.
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EXP 12/31/14