The elves are coming out of hiding and setting up shop in Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Egmont and Pender Harbour next weekend.
These elves aren't the tiny, pointy-eared kind seen slaving away making toys in many a Christmas movie. They are real-life volunteers who work hard between now and Christmas collecting and delivering presents and turkey dinners to hundreds of families in need on the Coast.
They are the Elves Club volunteers, and last year they delivered donated presents and Christmas dinners to a total of 725 households on the Coast.
"Donations are earned on our Coast by many means, one of which is via a telethon produced by our local cable station. Many, many volunteers provide the talent and know-how to present such a show," said Jacquie Braun, an Elves Club volunteer.
Every year the telethon raises money to buy the food and comfort items needed by so many families on the Coast. It features local talent and live call-in bidding on the hundreds of products donated by local businesses to help the cause.
This year's telethon is on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 10 p.m. on Coast Cable Channel 11. The local station has been producing the telethon yearly since 1986 and thousands of dollars are raised every year through the telethon.
Braun says the community always rallies around the Elves Club at Christmas time and it seems everyone helps in one way or another.
"Schools have food drives, make Christmas wreaths for gifts and have penny drives in order to contribute to this cause," added Braun.
"An elementary school class comes to the hall to bag vegetables for the hampers. A motorcycle group holds a toy run. A Weight Watchers group donates $1 per pound lost for the month. A theatre sends in part of the ticket price. The hospital auxiliary ladies collect and wrap gifts. A local pub offers lunch for toys during an afternoon. "The fire department in our town has a boot drive, and in the past they have repaired toys and worked on the telethon. They also run a bingo night to raise funds for safety equipment.
"A church donates their space to make up the hampers. Volunteers of all ages gather to put food into the boxes. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Army Cadets, Air Cadets, student church youth groups and seniors all volunteer their time."
With all these helping hands, it's no wonder the total estimated volunteer hours for the Elves Club Christmas drive last year came in at around 5,600.
But, with the yearly number of requests for hampers climbing, the elves need all the help they can get.
You can help by donating a gift or food item at one of the Elves Club drop-off sites that will be set up Nov. 27 at Sunnycrest Mall and at various other sites on the Coast.
You can place a bid during the telethon on Dec. 11, come out to help make gift boxes on Dec. 16 at Christian Life Assembly in Gibsons, make hampers on Dec. 17 or deliver the hampers on Dec. 18. You can also volunteer to help clean up the depots and packaging sites after the Christmas deliveries are finished.
And if you want to become a member of the Elves Club, you can help by paying the yearly membership fee of $3.65 plus 12 non-perishable food items.
Braun says everyone has their own reasons for volunteering their time with the Elves Club, but the joy of helping someone who is in need is a driving factor for most.
"The executive of this group are totally unpaid, most not even recovering costs for coffees, gas and little extras they get for the hampers just because it would make someone's Christmas a little better," said Braun.
For more information about the Elves Club, contact Braun at 604-886-4547.
