It’s that time of year again – the Langley Christmas Bureau is open for business – holiday business, that is.
The local charity organization, that provides Christmas to hundreds of Langley families each year, opened its seasonal offices in a new location along the Langley Bypass just last week. But a team of volunteers has been working for weeks behind the scenes getting ready for the expected onslaught of applicants and donors.
One of the most significant events on the bureau’s 2018 calendar will be the annual Children’s Wish Breakfast.
The bureau is partnering with Newlands Golf & Country Club for the second year to bring holiday cheer to families in need, and it has Newland’s Judy Davies pretty excited.
After a successful inaugual Children’s Wish Breakfast in 2017, Davies is expecting an even bigger turnout for this year’s breakfast on Nov. 27.
“We feel like the turnout will probably double from last year.”
READ MORE: First Children’s Wish Breakfast in Langley City a success (with video)
Last year’s breakfast drew more than 1,000 people, collected 1,200 gifts, and raised $4,000. Overall, the fundraiser helped 757 families and 1,675 children, Davies said.
“I think the excitement is really building in the community, we’ve had a lot of people come forward wanting to participate,” she added.
This year, visitors who attend the breakfast with a new unwrapped toy or cash donation will be treated to a complimentary breakfast prepared by the Newlands culinary staff.
Visitors will also hear entertainment from local singers and musicians and get a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
And Santa will make a very exclusive appearance this year, as he will be arriving in an RCMP helicopter.
Following the drop-off, Sky Helicopters will also be dropping in a massive toy donation from the air.
Davies said she was inspired to host the event after attending the Christmas Wish Breakfast at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver for years, and wanted to bring the same opportunity to the Fraser Valley.
“I just connected the dots and said ‘in three hours, what’s been done at the Pan Pacific in three hours far outweighs anything we’re doing now and we could do so much more.'”
So with that thought in mind, and a partnership with the Langley Christmas Bureau, the Children’s Wish Breakfast was born.
“There’s such a great need,” said Davies.
“There’s so many people who don’t have very much and I think there’s people who genuinely want the opportunity to support these people, they just don’t know how to go about it, so this event helps facilitate that.”
Davies added that there’s been an “outpouring of support from the community and people wanting to participate.”
Some donation ideas of new, unwrapped gifts to bring include: outdoor toys, lego, play doh, musical toys, games, train sets, craft kits, headphones, watches, bike accessories, hair accessories, sports equipment, logo hoodies, electronics and mall gift cards.
The breakfast is on Tuesday, Nov.27 from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Newlands Golf & Country Club at 21025 48th Ave.
For those who can’t make it to the breakfast, the Langley Christmas Bureau is open in Langley at 120-19860 Langley Bypass from now until Dec. 19 to accept donations.
Another location is open in Aldergrove at 26959 Fraser Hwy. from now until Dec. 12 on Mondays and Wednesdays.
For more details and drop-off hours, visit http://www.langleychristmasbureau.com/contact-us/ or call 604-530-3001.
For more information on the Children’s Wish Breakfast, visit https://www.newlandsgolf.com/childrens-wish-breakfast/, email wishbreakfast@newlandsgolf.com or call 604-533-3288.
