WJ Berezowsky Principal Dwayne Tournier (right) and Prince Albert Kinsmen member Jared Devers (left). (Submitted photo/Marcus Abrametz)

By Nigel Maxwell

Good causes

Project Hot Paws makes special pre-Christmas delivery

Dec 9, 2021 | 2:19 PM

An initiative by the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club, will help ensure hundreds of the city’s youth have warm hands this winter when they play in the snow.

As part of the fifth annual Touques & Mitts for Kids gift-giving project, 485 individually-wrapped Christmas gifts have been delivered to schools across the city. Project chairperson Jared Devers told paNOW the original idea was to give toys.

“We contacted some of the local schools and they told us a lot of kids come to school without proper attire so we met with some social workers and decided providing kids with waterproof mitts, toques and scarves was the best way to help them out,” he said.

St. Catherine Principal Gisele Stalwick (right), Jared Devers (middle) and Vice Principal Jenna Bourdon (left). (Submitted/ Marcus Abrametz)

The school kids are scheduled to open the gifts on Friday. Normally representatives from the Kinsmen Club would be on hand to watch the event and hold a pep rally, however due to COVID restrictions, that wasn’t possible last year or this year. Devers said he still always likes to see and hear about the reactions.

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“These kids are running around school afterwards, saying these mitts make them faster and give them super powers. All that stuff is kinda fun, especially when these kids don’t come to school on days like today where it’s post snow storm and they are sitting there without toques or mitts,” he said.

The Kinsmen Club fundraises throughout the year for this project and the winter attire is purchased from a Canadian company called Hot Paws. Devers explained the project has increased in size, moving from one school originally, to two schools, and this year with five.

Catholic Schools’ Superintendent Robert Tessier told paNOW the donation is very much appreciated.

“We do have some families and students where they re-locate on a regular basis and sometimes when you re-locate, you don’t necessarily find your items from winter to winter,” he said.

On behalf of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, Tessier offered his gratitude to all community members and groups who take the time to consider the city’s youth and the schools they attend.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell