Winter Wonderland assures Christmas fun

Winnipeg

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This article was published 27/11/2024 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over 1,400 kids from local public schools flooded through the gates of RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg on Nov. 19.

The energy was palpable. Dressed up in tuques and jackets and moving along in single-file lines, the youngsters and their teachers moved along up the escalator, through the welcoming army of giant decorative gingerbread men, and into the main hall — which, for just a few hours every year, is converted into a Winter Wonderland.

Variety Manitoba, a local non-profit organization aimed at supporting children in need and their families, has been organizing its Winter Wonderland event for seven years. This was the biggest edition yet.

Jeff Liba, executive director at Variety Manitoba, sees the event as a way of giving back.

“A motivation is to help the families of these kids a little bit by bringing their kids up for a day, making sure they feel super excited, special, worthy. All these kids are super worthy of a great day today,” Liba said.

“This is about them, and we’re inviting new kids out every year, and their excitement and their joy never ends.”

Winter Wonderland is organized so that all kids, of all abilities and attention spans, can move around and engage as they please.

At one end is the entertainment, which features interactive magic, performances by well-known characters such as Elsa and Anna from Disney’s Frozen, and an area for kids to sit, mingle, and enjoy a hot meal.

At the other end are face painting and temporary tattoo booths, and opportunities to get autographs from even more colourful characters.

All the participants are given goodie bags to take home, full of treats and winter essentials, such as warm gloves and a toothbrush.

“It’s been an amazing turnout, I’ve seen nothing but smiling kids,” said Natalie Lukasik, accompanied by her six-year-old daughter, Paige. Paige has limited mobility, and Variety Manitoba has been financially supporting her access to essential medical resources since she was three.

“No matter what school, what grade, it’s giving them opportunities they might not have had otherwise … I think it’s really important to know that (Variety) includes everyone. Something like this, it’s providing joy in general. (Paige) is here not because of her disabilities, but because she goes to that school.”

“We’re absolutely having fun,” said Lisa Richardson, principal of Weston School. “Just to be able to see the kids walking down the red carpet … it’s awesome to see. I have pictures of kids watching in amazement.”

This year the first time the Winnipeg School Division was invited to the event, for which Richardson expressed her gratitude, as did WSD superintendent Matt Henderson, who called in to convey his thanks.

“(Paige) is super-happy to be here with her class,” Lukasik said. “I think a lot of families don’t have these events around Christmas … everyone (here) has an equal experience.”

The man the kids all came for, the one and only Santa Claus, made his appearance in the middle of the show, making a thunderous blast. Kids closed in from all directions, all wanting a chance to get a word in on what they’d like under the tree when he visits next month.

“It makes you smile,” said Doug Speirs, a former Winnipeg Free Press columnist who has been playing the part of Santa for approximately 15 years. “And they believe. They’re not too cool for school … I love doing it. It’s hard to get a good Santa, a Santa you can trust.”

Speirs has seen first-hand how the need has grown, and how events like this can bridge the gap so that families living in poverty can join in on the holiday fun without a price tag.

“It’s important every year, but the need is growing,” he said.

“This may be their big Christmas event … And I love Variety, they’re amazing people.”

Variety Manitoba is a not-for-profit and is supported by donations. For more information, visit online at varietymanitoba.com