Dear Editor:
Santa Claus came to the township! The Optimist Club of Puslinch annual Santa Claus parade, celebrating 26 years of bringing Santa to the kids of Puslinch, was replaced with “Santa’s Drive-Thru” for the second year in a row, due to the pandemic.
The big event took place at the Puslinch Community Centre in Aberfoyle on Nov. 28, as families remained in their vehicles and drove by the 16 decorated floats, listening to the Salvation Army band and Christmas music, in anticipation of seeing the ‘jolly old guy’ in red.
Mascots, characters and clowns visited with families while waiting to drive-thru. Many smiling faces of the young and the young at heart waited in anticipation. Thank you, Santa, for visiting Puslinch!
Santa’s elves gave out 350 goodie bags and the Optimists gave out 500 bags of potato chips and 500 bottles of water donated by Nestle Waters. Vehicles were lined up in the parking lot full for the whole duration of the event; 760 pounds of food and $387 in cash were collected for the food bank. Lots of “Dear Santa” letters were collected, 92 in all. Extra proceeds were donated to the Children’s Foundation Adopt a Family and Sunrise Equestrian Therapeutic building campaign. Way to go, Puslinch!
A huge thank you to all who participated in the drive-thru with their amazing Christmas floats: Aberfoyle Snowmobiles, Aberfoyle Agricultural Society, Boy Scouts of Canada (Guelph South), Duff’s Church, Guelph Family Martial Arts, Hayden’s Aberfoyle Garage, Sarmazian Flooring, Puslinch Minor Baseball, Puslinch Minor Soccer, Fred Prior Construction, Reidco Farms, Ren’s Pets Guelph, Victoria Park Golf Club, Wellington Group of Companies, Salvation Army Band, and Santa.
This event is made possible through the generous support of our local businesses, companies, organizations, individuals and community members. Please thank them and support them. They include: A Change of Pace Restaurant, Aberfoyle Snowmobiles Ltd., Accurate Home and Building Inspection Consultants, Benson Tire, Brennan’s Tire Service Inc., Bryan’s Farm and Industrial Supply, CRH Canada Group (Dufferin Aggregates), Capital Paving Inc., Con-Cast Pipe Ltd., County of Wellington Roads Dept. Aberfoyle, Dollarama, Dr. Abraham AHO Veterinary Professional Corp., G.R. Good Holding Co. Ltd., Robert F. Hammond, Paul Hohenadel, Ken Tosh, Michael’s Mobile Truck and Trailer Repair, Nestle Canada Inc., North America Construction Ltd., Picard Peanuts Ltd., Ren’s Pets, Shar-A-Tree Christmas Trees, Township of Puslinch, Township of Puslinch Fire and Roads Depts., DM Davidson Water Pumping Equipment Sales and Service, Victoria Park East and Valley Golf Clubs, Village Restaurant, Vinnie’s Mr. Fixit Inc., Wall-Custance Funeral Home Ltd., Wellington County OPP, all the people that entered floats, Santa and his elves.
Merry Christmas!
Brenda Law,
Parade committee,
Puslinch