Celebrating a decade of spreading Christmas cheer with young and old

For the last ten years, Donald Myers has upheld a unique tradition with his family. What started as a silly idea for a laugh with him and his daughters, Reena and Melanie, has become so much more. “We hooked up the wagon and went down to the highway on Lonira Road and waved at people,” explained Myers. “I was dressed up as Santa Claus, and we had fun making people smile as they drove by, waving back at us.”

Eventually, someone stopped. “They asked if they could have a ride, and we got the idea that maybe this could be something we did with people. So, the second year we started offering people rides.” Posting on Facebook and growing by word of mouth, the Santa’s Test Run event quickly became popular. “People wanted to pay me but, Santa doesn’t take money so, we decided that if people donated food, it would go to the food bank, and if people donated money, it would go to the Christmas Hamper.”

Getting to do something they enjoyed doing while also collecting donations for two great organizations was a joy for Myers. As popularity grew, the Myers clan started making little gifts to give out, including ornaments. “My daughters and my wife, Bonnie, gave out 77 ornaments this year, so that’s 77 kids who came to see Santa in Blue Ridge. That’s not counting the parents who were with them.”

This year was the first time Santa’s Test Run happened in Blue Ridge instead of at Lonira Road, and Myers said he liked how it worked out. “I think we will likely continue doing it this way. It gives the kids something to do while waiting for a ride. They can hang out inside and stay warm. The library had crafts going for them, the rink was open, and there was a bonfire. I liked how it was set up, and I think people liked it too. I think we would gain more people doing it this way because you’ve got something to do on top of the ride with Santa, and you’re not just waiting on the road.”

Looking back on how the event has grown, Myers said he couldn’t believe it all started with a random thought to wave at people near the highway. “I started playing Santa for my friends and family because it was a fun thing to do. Christmas, to me, is a fun thing. Without grandchildren, I tell people that I gain a hundred of them through doing the ride. It means a lot to my family to do this.”

Since the beginning, Myers said one horse has always been the wagon puller. “We’ve always used the same horse for these events, and her name is Angel. She knows it’s coming every year and that it’s her turn to take the kids for a ride. I think she looks forward to it just like we do.”

Myers’ eyes watered when asked what his favourite part of playing Santa and giving wagon rides is. “The best part of doing this for me is seeing the kids come and seeing their smiles. I have a favourite picture on my phone. It’s of a kid sitting up front with me, and his smile is from ear to ear. That’s why I do this. That and the eighty-year-olds who come because they are just as happy to come and see the horse and go for a ride. I love doing this.”

Over the ten years, counting this year, with a rough estimate, Myers said they had raised about $3,000 for the Christmas Hamper. As for the Whitecourt Food Bank, Myers said they’d likely received about a thousand pounds of food. “We just wanted to share a bit of Christmas cheer. I could never have imagined that ten years later, we would be doing it in a bigger way and that we would have brought in the donations we have.”

On December 13, Myers hosted a smaller group at his home up Lonira Road. Several families took part in a Santa wagon ride for the homeschool group, travelling along the beautiful landscape of Lonira Road. “I like doing this for small groups and big groups. I’ve done the ride for a hockey team before too. It doesn’t matter. I just like doing it.”

Myers said his love for Christmas was passed down to him from his father and credited him hugely for Santa’s Test Run. “Christmas was my dad, and the horse and buggy thing was my father-in-law’s idea, and Angel was his horse. My father-in-law always wanted to have a horse and buggy. So, doing this kind of honours both of them, and they get to be part of it with us. They inspired it!”

Myers, who also plays the Easter Bunny, said he probably gets more enjoyment from the yearly event than the kids do. “It’s the truth if I’m being honest. That’s how much I love doing it. Thank you to everyone for supporting us and the Whitecourt Christmas Hamper and Whitecourt Food Bank. I hope to see everybody back next year and bring your friends. And I hope to see the homeschool group come back out, with more of them joining us. I want people to enjoy themselves because the enjoyment the kids, parents, and grandparents get from coming to see us means everything to our family.”