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Tigz Designs making Christmas merry for Swan Valley Lodge residents

Lori Cameron and her husband, Bill, expect to deliver 90 gift bags to Swan Valley Lodge residents.
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By Brian Lawrence

For the third year in a row, residents of Swan Valley Lodge will have a merry Christmas when they receive gift bags from Tigz Designs.

But first, the public’s help is needed to make Santa for Seniors a success. Before Dec. 19, visitors to the 1013 Canyon St. shop may simply pick a tag from the Christmas tree, and then donate $15, $20 or $25 toward the recipient’s gift bag.

“I love Christmas,” said owner Lori Cameron. “Everyone has got to have a present.”

Cameron and her husband, Bill, expect to deliver 90 bags to residents, and if there is time, about 30 more will be added for day program members. The bags will be filled with a variety of edible treats, tailored so they won’t conflict with residents’ dietary requirements, and other small gifts. Cameron’s sister made fabric coasters in 2016 and scarves last year; the 2017 bags also included wooden Christmas ornaments made by Bill.

And if a resident really wants something different, that can be arranged; last year, one resident wanted a stuffed toy, so he received a teddy bear instead.

Cameron got the idea from a friend in Kelowna, where a similar drive takes place annually, and she couldn’t pass up the chance to offer it in Creston.

“Some of the seniors don’t have any family, so they never get anything for Christmas,” she said. “The thought of someone not having family or a gift under the tree — I can’t imagine it. This way, they all have something.”