The week before Christmas break ended on a high note for students at St. Anges School as the team at Blue Whale Financial treated them to a festive holiday dinner and invited a special guest on Dec. 18.
“Every year for the past 10 years we have picked a community school to take a hot turkey lunch for Christmas and give back to the community and to the kids,” announced Kelly Binner, an advisor with Blue Whale Financial.
“It just means the world to us that we’re able to do this, and that the schools embrace us… To see the looks on the faces of the kids when they get their dinner and when they see Santa — that’s what means the most to us.”
The tradition began when a teacher at Empire School shared how some of her students were unable to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner. Moved by this, the company started the program to ensure every child could experience the joy of a festive holiday meal.
The company selects one alternating school from the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division and Prairie South School Division to host the event, with Empire School being the last selection in 2023.
Once students lined up and received their meals, excitement filled the air when Santa arrived and greeted them with high fives before handing out water bottles with his team.
Justin Clewis, the principal at St. Agnes, said he was more than happy to accept the offer when Blue Whale asked if he’d host the event this year. “How do you say no to that?” he said.
The dinner, Clewis said, was the perfect way to cap off the week for students at St. Agnes. The school celebrated a full week starting with a school luncheon on Dec. 16 where 33 members of the school’s choir delivered a heartfelt performance. On Dec. 17, Larry and Dianne Hellings visited the school to set up their Christmas store — after an earlier visit to Prince Arthur School on Dec. 12 — allowing students to shop for and wrap Christmas gifts right in the school’s gymnasium.
“They (the Hellings) deserve an awful lot of recognition… (for) what they do,” Clewis added.
After the feast, the school held its Christmas concert later that evening to wrap up the week.
“We’ve got the Christmas spirit in full effect,” Clewis said. “It’s been a great week.”
The meal was provided courtesy of Super Meats Catering and Safeway provided the marble cake for dessert. “They do a fantastic job, and we couldn’t do it without them,” Binner said about the catering business.
“Our management team came out from Regina to be with us today… because it means so much to us to be able to do this for our community,” she said. “I’m really thankful that everybody is so giving at this time of year, and (we) leave with a tear in our eyes every year.”
Clewis added a message of thanks for the team at Blue Whale Financial. “These kids are definitely an appreciative group,” he said. “And yeah, we can’t thank Blue Whale Financial enough.”
Blue Whale Financial has been a proud member of the community for over 20 years and operates with the mission of giving back. Blue Whale supported the Moose Jaw Hospital Foundation when the new Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital was being built, and has supported Hunger in Moose Jaw, the Red Cross, and the YMCA.
For more information call 306-693-3088, visit Web.Sunlife.ca/Blue-Whale-Financial-Solutions-Inc, or follow ‘Blue Whale Financial Solutions Inc.’ on Facebook.
Aaron Walker
Reporter
Moose Jaw Express
