Those in Humboldt without big family celebrations to attend on Christmas Day once again had somewhere to go on December 25, and more came this year than ever before.
The fourth annual Community Christmas Celebration held at Westminster United Church attracted nearly 100 people, organizers reported on January 2.
That's double the number who attended last year.
Put on by a group of volunteers from Westminster United Church, Family Services - Partners Building Hope (Partners) and the community at large, the Christmas celebration was once again an unmitigated success.
Rev. Brenda Curtis of Westminster United Church, Pam Lemky of Partners and James Folster, some of the key organizers of the event this year, sat down with the Journal on January 2 to talk about this event.
They had about 28 children attend the celebration this year, they estimated. They had a hard time counting them, they admitted, because the kids were moving around so much.
The eyes of those children lit up when they saw Santa Claus come in the door, all three agreed.
Santa handed out a gift to every one of the children present, fulfilling their Christmas wishes, though he hadn't been able to make it to some of their homes this year, as volunteers heard.
And the buffet tables groaned under the weight of the food that was donated and prepared by volunteers.
Five turkeys and three hams, potatoes, vegetables - all the trimmings of Christmas - were served to those at the celebration. And using cash donated to the event, some more special treats were purchased and served.
"We wanted it to be special," Curtis said.
A huge box of fresh, organic produce was donated by a local business, which meant there was a lot of salad, as well.
"It was a big spread... amazing," Curtis said. "It was three or four tables long, with all sorts of varieties of really good food. It was a Christmas dinner that would have made our mamas proud," she smiled, giving credit to Karen Mason from Partners, who managed the kitchen.
The crowd at this year's celebration was diverse, the three agreed, spanning every age group and background. There were those people who would otherwise have been alone this Christmas, those who could not afford a large Christmas meal on their own, and those in need of Christmas cheer, not just from the city of Humboldt, but from the surrounding rural area as well.
It was great, noted Lemky, to watch the eyes of the senior citizens light up when they watched the little kids run around.
This event, Curtis noted, isn't just about providing a meal and a place to go on Christmas.
"It's become more about building community than feeding people," she said.
And it's not one group of people serving another group of people.
"It's more like a big community gathering. It's inclusive," Curtis said. "Everyone eats."
Besides supper, there are activities and games for the children, and for the adults, too.
"My kids enjoy it so much," said Lemky of the day. "If I didn't take them, we would have an issue."
For Lemky, Christmas growing up was about a huge family celebration. But now, her family is spread out across the country.
"This is a chance for me to give my kids that," she noted.
"We end up meeting a lot of families, a lot of people," Curtis said. "We enjoy the community part of it, too."
The whole day was a special one, Folster said, unable to pinpoint his favourite part of the celebration.
"Just everybody being there and eating and everything," he said. "It was just great."
Seeing the children so excited to see Santa Claus, and to get the gifts they wanted, was a highlight for Curtis.
For Lemky, the highlight of the day was a bit more ethereal.
"It's the feeling of Christmas spirit you get from it," she said. "It's that warm, fuzzy feeling you get as a kid, and you kind of lose as an adult."
The true meaning of Christmas, she said, is about family, community and giving - not about what's waiting under the tree on Christmas morning. And that's what she gets from this community celebration - and what she wants to share with her kids.
"It's making Christmas what Christmas is supposed to be," she said.
This is the second year that Partners has been involved in the dinner. It started out as a church event that was open to the entire community.
But from here on in, Curtis sees it taking on a life of its own.
"It's not a church or a Partners thing. It's a community thing," she said. "It doesn't depend on any one of us any longer. Everyone will work at it together," she said.
Curtis, Lemky and Folster only see this event growing in the future, as more new people move in to the area and need a place to go to celebrate Christmas.
Donations from the community poured in to this celebration this year - too many to name, Curtis said.
"It's because of all these people it happened," she stated of the donors. "People really do open their hearts."
"It's truly amazing community spirit," Lemky said.
Leftovers from the dinner went home with every family that evening, it was noted, and the surplus unprepared food will go to the Humboldt Soup Kitchen.
