Fifty years of Kerby Centre means we’ve had 50 years of holidays.
Fifty of each of the big annual days! Fifty Halloweens, 50 Thanksgivings, 50 Easters. I mean, even 50 Arbour Days.
But no matter how many times we celebrate a holiday, they always feel special. Maybe it’s just because they only come around so seldom, but the holidays always feel like they have a bit more magic in the air.
And no holiday season has more magic than the December one, featuring Christmas and the holly, jolly man himself: Santa.
We like Santa quite a bit around here at the Unison Kerby Centre. I think it’s because we have a lot in common.
We always want to give back; we want to be generous with our time and we focus on what we can do for others.
That, and you have no idea how many cookies our staff and volunteers could put away if the situation called for it. Truly a ludicrous amount.
With the holidays approaching, and the last few of these 50th stories spoken for, I wanted to take one to appreciate this season — and one event that truly embodies everything good about the Kerby Centre.
Global came by the Centre on Dec. 6 to provide a holiday turkey luncheon for a whole bunch of our seniors and clients.
When we say that holidays fill our hearts, it’s also too true that they fill our stomachs. It’s just as important. And this delicious and exquisite meal was a perfect, early Christmas treat.
We had folks from other organizations, like Trico Living Well and CUPS Calgary participating in the event. But the biggest “get” of all those in attendance was the one, the only, Saint Nicholas.
Despite prepping for his biggest day of the year, he took the time to visit with our seniors. He gave away bags of goodies, prepped for him by the wonderful volunteer elves from Global, including the incomparable Leslie Horton.
And he gave individual moments of time to every single person in attendance: a moment to remind them that magic is real, if only for a second, and that they are important.
We try to channel that same magic every single day at the centre, but it’s an afternoon like this one that reminds me why that joy is worth working for.
Seeing people experience just a moment of childhood wonder is worth whatever it cost to get Mr. Clause here.
Even if the reindeer made a mess of the parking lot.