Burlington, ON, December 7, 2020 – The Orchard community in northwest Burlington partnered with VR Pro Inc. to offer a virtual, socially-distanced Santa Run for local residents.
VR Pro Inc. has been hosting real Santa races in a variety of communities, including Burlington, for many years. The all-Santa race has always been a popular way to kick off the festive season here in Burlington, but due to COVID-19 public gathering restrictions, the 2020 edition of the race was switched to virtual. Residents of the Orchard were able to purchase the Santa suits and race kits at a discounted price and could run or walk any distance between 1 km and 5 km right in their neighbourhoods, with their families or small social circles.
“We’re so happy to be able to bring some festive cheer to the Orchard residents, since our real races were cancelled this year,” said Kelly Arnott, VR Pro co-founder. “This holiday season will be unlike any we’ve experienced before, and we want to do what we can to bring smiles to as many people as we can.”
Over 80 members of the community donned their Santa suits and festive outfits and walked or ran through their neighbourhood throughout the weekend in small groups.
All participants were encouraged to make a donation to the Burlington Food Bank, with two drop-off locations available in the Orchard. Over 360 lb of food were donated, along with cash donations. Local photographer Adrian Marsi of Snapscene Photography gifted families a mini photo session with a minimum $20 donation to the food bank. And children from three classes at Alexander’s Public School created ornaments to put on the new community Christmas tree located on the porch of 5471 Blue Spruce Avenue.
Glenda Shortt, creator and administrator of the Facebook group Our Orchard Community in Burlington and one of the event organizers, said, “2020 was full of hard things! I am so proud of our community and the joy we brought to kick off the holiday season of 2020!” The Facebook group connects neighbours to support each other, share special news and events.
The virtual event was a big success and residents were encouraged to keep walking and running in their Santa suits throughout the month of December, to continue to share the festive cheer!
Contact:
Glenda Shortt
theshorttfamily@hotmail.com
Teresa Baerg
905-617-4605
chillyhalfteresa@gmail.com
About VR Pro Inc.
VR Pro Inc. has hosted running events in the GTA and beyond for over 24 years, and has contributed more than $3 million to local charities, including Joseph Brant Hospital. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all races hosted by VR Pro are now run virtually.
