Christmas Float

The Rotary Club of Canterbury Sunrise and Canterbury Lions Club have been enjoying a spectacular success entertaining children as well as parents with their annual Santa float this year. The float is actually a sleigh, completely rebuilt by club members this year, and is mounted on a trailer towed by a four wheel drive vehicle kindly loaned by Barretts of Canterbury. The sleigh is lit up like a Christmas tree and incorporates a pa system playing Christmas carols.

The first evening's entertainment was on 1 December and by the last evening on 17 December the sleigh will have completed thirteen routes from 6.15 PM to 8.30 PM each night. Rotary Sunrise Members have manned it on the first nine nights and Lions members the last four. The routes covered were Sturry Road, Spring Lane, Thannington, Chartham, Barton Road Estate, Bridge, London Road Estate, Forty Acres Road area, Salisbury Road area, South Canterbury, Rough Common, St Stephens and Whitstable Road area.

All the routes were leafleted beforehand mostly by Sunrise members and by student volunteers from the University of Kent and Christ Church University. With this advance notice children have been flocking out of their houses to see Santa and collect their sweets. At the same time members of the clubs have been collecting donations door to door from the parents to support the various charities sponsored by these two clubs. We will expect to have collected around £3,500.00 in total which will go to the benefit of both the eradication of polio worldwide as well as worthwhile local causes

"Households have been very generous with their donations and the best night so far was one of the nights when it was pouring with rain and it was obvious that the parents felt very sorry for the bedraggled team of collectors. There has been an internal competition amongst the various teams as to which route donated the most appreciated give to Santa and so far it was a nice cold beer to ease his hoarse throat.