INNISFAIL – Lee Kemp is a man with a determined mission that there will be a Santa Claus for children amidst today’s devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
For the past six years the 41-year-old member of the famed Innisfail Kemp farming family has spent the holiday season working in Red Deer malls to honour the time-honoured tradition of Santa Claus, ensuring every kid possible is part of the wonder of Santa Claus. Kemp even makes hospital visits in Red Deer and Innisfail to make sure bed-ridden children receive a stuffed animal from Santa.
But with the pandemic forcing the cancellation of Santa at Red Deer malls, he has turned his holiday attention to Innisfail where Santa Claus will be at the farm for all local and area kids to experience the wonder of the season, in spite of COVID.
He has created Selfies with Santa, a display created from huge bales of hay in the middle of a Kemp family farm field, located just of west off Highway 54 across from the Innisfail Golf Club’s driving range.
“This year my personal employer at the Red Deer mall asked me to sit in front of a computer and do visits with Santa in front of a computer and I said 'no, that is not what Christmas is',” said Kemp. “I just turned him down flat and told my parents that this is what I want to do. They said, ‘OK, give ‘er’. It is actually my mom and dad’s (Rick and Wendy) quarter we are doing it on.
“I dreamed this whole thing up before the newest (COVID) restrictions. We were still going to allow the young kids to be able to sit on Santa’s lap but now with the newest restrictions we have bales set up where you have to stay on either side, wear a mask, talk to Santa,” he added. “Once you turn around and sit down a family member or my daughter can take pictures. It’s just a way to make sure the kids still get to have their pictures with Santa and still be able to talk to Santa and have a really fun background display that didn’t cost a whole lot of money.”
Selfies with Santa began Dec. 1 and will run until Dec. 23. The Santa display will be open Tuesdays through to Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m.
But there is more, much more. Kemp is still thinking of the kids in both Red Deer and Innisfail that have to spend Christmas in hospital. He is also thinking of the children whose financially challenged families are depending on the generosity of regional Christmas Bureaus.
He wants to raise up to $50,000 to purchase 1,200 stuffed animals from The Bear House in Red Deer for Santa to give to hospitalized kids and the financially challenged ones relying on regional Christmas Bureaus. He is asking folks who come to the Selfies with Santa display to make a donation of $25. All the money raised will go to purchasing stuffed animals for up to 1,200 children.
That’s a lot of money to be raised in a short time but Kemp believes it’s doable. He’s a big believer in old-fashioned Christmas miracles.
“You don’t know until you try,” said Kemp. “So far from what I am seeing and the feedback I am getting, there is generosity from people, and yes, we are only asking for a minimum $25 donation.”
For any citizen wanting a photo with Santa but concerned about finding the location, the site on Highway 54 can be found on Google Maps by entering Selfies with Santa.
