The Adopt-a-Grandparent Christmas Program is up and running again.

Len Brosko and his family are organizing the 鈥楽ecret Santa鈥� type program for another year. They put a Christmas tree with seniors鈥� wish lists inside Jo Klassen鈥檚 restaurant (2401 Cliffe Ave. #14, Courtenay), and invite anybody to stop by.

Community members can go to the restaurant, grab a tag off the tree, and choose to shop for a present for that senior. Seniors from Cumberland Lodge, Comox Valley Senior鈥檚 Village, and Glacier View Lodge submitted their wish list.

鈥淲e get, combined, close to 300 participants within those homes,鈥� said Brosko.

Len urges anybody getting involved to make sure they return the gift by the deadline of Dec. 21.

Len also emphasized that people return the gift with the wish list visible and attached to the present (to avoid having to rip open the gift to find out what it is and who it was for).

The Brosko family started the program eight years ago.

Len鈥檚 daughter Breanna was thinking of her grandfather, and all other elderly who were living in a home similar to the Comox Valley communities.

鈥�(She was like), 鈥楬e鈥檚 got no family to be around. They should feel loved and part of the community at Christmas time like everybody else.鈥欌��

Eight years later, the program is still going strong. The family does it in remembrance of their late mother, who passed away on Boxing Day during the second year of the program.

鈥淲e continued it in mom鈥檚 honour,鈥� Len said.

鈥�(We get) just a ton of support from Comox Valley. We want to give thanks to everyone who participates in the program.鈥�

The family delivers the presents to each senior community.

The program has everyone busy 鈥� and if looking at expanding, Len said the family would take on some new volunteers next year.

NEWSLETTER: Sign up to get our articles by email