Sarnia Pathways center Secret Santa Shoppe is open for business

Aubree Troiani, 6, is already a seasoned pro at getting through her Christmas list.

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Her mom, Laura Troiani, said Aubree was one the first year they came to the Secret Santa Shoppe, an annual fundraiser for Pathways Health Center for Children. She has been back every year since.

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Volunteer elf, Piper Charron, accompanied Aubree through the shop on its opening day Friday at Pathways in Sarnia and they quickly matched gifts with all the names on the Point Edward youngster’s list, while mom sat close by but out of sight.

“I think it’s great,” Laura Troiani said. “We don’t even know what she’s picking out. She gets to see the excitement on our faces.”

That’s one of the aims of the fundraiser Pathways has organized for 19 years. The other is raising about $40,000 to help the center provide therapy and other services to children and youth with physical, developmental and communication needs.

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“It’s our biggest fundraiser at Pathways,” said Marcy Draker, the center’s special events lead. “We are so appreciative of the community’s support that allows us to continue to do this every year. It’s a real heart-warmer.”

The shop takes over a large room next to the Pathways aquatic center with tables loaded with gifts and others set up where parents and caregiver can wait.

An unwrapped sample of each gift sits next to wrapped ones shoppers can select, attach a gift tag to and put in a large bag. The elf crosses names off the list and keeps track of the amount spent so parents can settle up at the end.

Pathways has 50-50 tickets and chocolates for sale, and a silent auction parents can take part in while they wait. There are also refreshments and snacks supplied by McDonalds.

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The price range for the already-wrapped gifts is typically $10 to $20 each, with a few available for $5, Draker said.

Prior to COVID, about 1,200 young shoppers came through most years. Last year, there were almost 900.

“We would love to get back to 1,200 kids in the shop or, maybe in the coming years, more,” Draker said.

“We start shopping right after Christmas,” she said. That includes a trip in January to a Toronto home and gift market to buy most of the items for the following year’s fundraiser.

They need about 8,000 gifts to stock the shoppe, Draker said.

Shipments of gifts arrive at the center on Murphy Road in Sarnia throughout the year and a group of about 25 volunteers drop in regularly to wrap them.

“They show up right from January until November when we open the shop,” Draker said.

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Pembina and others sponsor the fundraiser and an army of volunteers sign up for elf duty.

“We fill 230 volunteer shifts,” Draker said. That included some local firefighters and Sarnia Coun. Chrissy McRoberts helping out Friday.

Santa will be dropping by, along with Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen, in the days ahead and members of the Sarnia Sting hockey team will be on elf duty Wednesday evening, 5 pm to 9 pm, for an already sold-out gift-buying session.

“Every year it’s sold out,” Draker said. “They’re so good with the kids.”

Because of the popularity of the Sting night, the shop may not be able to accommodate all of the “walk-in” shoppers who wait that evening, Draker said.

Walk-ins are welcome at the shop but families also can book a shopping session online at www.pathwayscentre.org/news-events.

The shop will be open Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm, Nov. 24, 3 pm to 6 pm, Nov. 25, 9 am to 5 pm and Nov. 26, 9 am to 1 pm

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