Lace Up and Bring Hope to Canada’s Most Vulnerable People

On Saturday, December 1, 2018, more than 16,000 Canadians will lace up at The Salvation Army’s annual Santa Shuffle, a 5k and 1k fun, family-event that supports local Salvation Army programs and services that include food, clothing, shelter, life-skills and more.

When you participate in the Santa Shuffle, a partnership with Running Room, you are helping to change the lives of people in your local community, such as Anita.

At 15, Anita and her family fled to Canada from Sierra Leone for security and safety, but there were tremendous challenges. In Sierra Leone she had worked to help her family make ends meet and never went to school. Now in Canada, she couldn’t count, spell her name or say her ABCs. Everything was an uphill struggle.

By Grade 11 Anita had moved out on her own and stopped going to school. She eventually started a family and moved from Edmonton to Ottawa to live closer to relatives. That’s when she connected with The Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre, a place that offers support to young families.

“I attended parenting classes, learned about nutritious and affordable food options for my children and enrolled in the Learning Coach Program,” says Anita.  “My Learning Coach Program teacher said ‘You can do it’. Because of him I am strong, progressing with my education, and my English is better.

“The Salvation Army has a heart to help people. They don’t focus on your past but help you build your future. Their arms are always open and that’s really good.”

We invite you to get to know the Army in your area better, and to see what it is doing to make a difference in your community.

How to Register

Registration and pledge forms are available at Running Room locations. You can also register and collect pledges online at www.santashuffle.ca.

About the Santa Shuffle

The Santa Shuffle began 28 years ago in Edmonton, Alta. In 2001, the event became national. Today, the Santa Shuffle is held in 38 locations across the country. Last year, more than 16,000 participants raised approximately $650,000 to help the local Salvation Army feed, clothe and empower people in need at Christmas and throughout the year.