By Brennan Phillips
Special to the Western News
Santa finished an early visit to the Okanagan this year, and his transportation was a far cry from his usual sleigh.
Santa, or Willy Lemm as he’s known in the off-season, was one of over 40 riders this year who participated in the 31st Annual South Okanagan Toy Run on Sept. 16.
“We raised over $1,500 in cash just today from the raffles,” said Roy Colmer, the director of the toy run for the last 11 years. “We have more donations that we haven’t checked yet, so we’re probably going to reach at least $2,000. That’s wonderful that we can do that.”
Starting at the Peach in Penticton, the ride left towards Summerland, where the first toy drop was held at the local high school. From there, they headed south to Oliver, before stopping in Okanagan Falls on their return to Penticton.
This year, the run brought in around 300 toys. The majority of the money raised from today also came from the riders, through raffles of more than 50 items and a 50/50 draw at the very end of the afternoon.
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