Here comes Christmas in Waterford

The Dec. 13th Waterford Lions Santa Claus Parade on James Street starts at 6 p.m.

Brenda Moser

Advocate Correspondent

Santa parade, toy drive, Breakfast with Santa, free skating, children’s Christmas party…

Service clubs play an important role in a community and in Waterford we are fortunate to have a very active and involved Lions Club.

I recently contacted Lion member Jessie Kingma for an update and the dish on the events planned by the local club for Christmas 2025. Once again, they are holding their Annual Toy Drive and they are reaching out to the community to make this year’s Drive just as big - if not bigger - than last year.

There are a few ways to make a donation to this cause. Once again, the Lions are hosting a Breakfast with Santa at the Lions Community Centre, 53 Church Street West, and you can drop new, unwrapped toys from 9-11 a.m.

It’s a free community event – everyone is welcome. Cash donations gladly accepted to help local families. Bring the family out for a yummy breakfast, visit Santa and take photos to make holiday memories.

You can also drop off non-perishable food items for the Food Bank.

Also, there will be a toy drop off spot downtown (Alice Street) after the Santa Claus Parade on Dec. 13th, and food items will be collected for the Food Bank in the parkette before the parade.

The parade on James Street starts at 6 p.m.

As well, you can make your toy donation at one of the free afternoon skates (2 p.m.) at the Waterford Tricenturena, 32 East Church St., on Dec. 6th or Dec. 13th. If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Food Bank, any one of the Lions would be happy to help you out with that.

The Lions believe that every toy helps to brighten a child’s Christmas and they say ‘Thank you Waterford, for all of your amazing support over the years!’ Putting a smile on the faces of the children is what Christmas is all about and Waterford Lions continue to work to ensure there will be presents under the tree for all kids. God bless!

LEGION CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY

Another service club in Waterford known for their community involvement is the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 123. Once again, this year they will be hosting a Kid’s Christmas Party. It will be held at the Hall, 223 Nichol Street, on Sunday, Dec. 21 from 2-4 p.m.

There will be games, snacks and a visit from a very special someone - Santa Claus himself. He will be taking some time out of his very busy schedule to drop in to see the kids, so be sure you don’t miss it. To reserve a spot, you can contact Sharon at 519-443-7567. The kid’s party is always a big hit so contact them right away to reserve your spot for an afternoon of fun!