YORKTON – “Simple Shots with Santa” was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic’s constraints and has since evolved into a beloved community event.
Calvin Tokarchuk, event co-organizer, told Yorkton This Week of the initial concern when the pandemic hit.
“There was a concern that kids weren’t going to be able to sit with Santa Clause and do regular Santa Clause photos,” said Calvin.
The husband and wife duo of Calvin and Jaqueline Tokarchuk devised a plan for safe-distance photos with Santa, with Jaqueline, a professional photgrapher by trade and owner of Simple Shots by Jackie, manning the lens.
The event was put together last minute, but it was an instant success. In its inaugural year, Simple Shots with Santa raised funds for the Salvation Army. Encouraged by the positive response, the Tokarchuks decided to support the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) in the following year, raising between $5,000 and $6,000. The donation funded the BGC’s food program for an entire year.
Over the years, the event has gained immense popularity.
“This is year four and this year we sold out in 17 minutes … 280 spots in 17 minutes,” said Calvin.
The event operates on a donation basis, embodying the Christmas spirit. For their donation, each child gets a 10-minute slot to interact with Santa.
But this Santa is different. He knows the children’s names, ages, Christmas wishes, pets’ names, favourite colours and even their sports activities.
“So when they come it’s a real Christmas spirit kind of interaction,” said Calvin.
This personalized experience, coupled with the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, has contributed to the event’s growing popularity.
The goal each year is to raise between $5,000 and $6,000, with daily collections usually ranging from $800 to $1,000. For Calvin, the joy they bring to people during the holiday season makes the event worthwhile.
“Being from here, you want to be able to give back … whatever we can do for the community, we try to,” said Calvin.
Jaqueline shares Calvin’s enthusiasm.
“It’s so awesome and it’s so much fun — how could we not do it?” said Jaqueline, adding, “the kids come in here and we smile from the beginning of the day until the very end."
With plans already underway for next year, Jaqueline’s goal is clear: “This needs to be bigger — I can make it bigger.
Jaqueline expressed her gratitude for the community’s support of her “crazy ideas,” which have resulted in such a positive event.
“The world is so negative — everyone is mad. My way of coping is to do things like this … to do what I can to make sure everyone’s life is more positive,” said Jaqueline.
This year’s event raised $7,000 for the BGC, with sponsors including Yorkton Minor Football, Extravadance Studio, the Gallagher Centre, and Garth’s Painting. As the Simple Shots with Santa event continues to grow, it’s clear that this community effort is bringing much-needed joy and positivity to Yorkton.
