What an amazing day! The real Santa Clause who lives in Lapland in Rovaniemi, located in the Arctic Circle, arrived in Bialystok on Sunday 8th of December. The Santa was invited by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Finland Andrzej Parafiniuk.
Santa’s tour in our city began from the visit in the Children’s Clinical University Hospital of Ludwik Zamenhof. Mr Janusz Pomaski, Director of the Hospital, welcomed an unusual guest.
More than 230 young hospital patients impatiently waited for Santa, who wanted to meet directly with the largest possible number of children. In order to meet the request of Joulupukki (how the Santa Claus is called in Finnish) his first meeting was organised with patients of following wards: Oncology and Hematology, Orthopedics and Surgery, where he was looked forward by 80 small and teenage patients. The Santa’s journey to the less mobile hospital patients was accompanied by a group elves singing and playing on the instruments and the most beautiful Snowflake in Poland – Rozalia Mancewicz Miss Polonia 2010 who helped Santa handing out gifts.
Meanwhile, capable of walking patients of other hospital’s branches were waiting for a meeting with Santa Claus near the Christmas tree in the main hall on the ground floor. In this time the great artistic performances were making pleasant. First, the actors-students of the Faculty of Arts Bialystok Puppet Theatre Academy presented a very cheerful short puppet theater titled „Different story with Bromby.” Bursts of laughter in the room confirmed that small audience had a great fun while watching the show.
Then were very colourful and dynamic dance and gymnastics shows. Before the children performed:
- Magda Starzyńska and Luke Rembiszewski of Ballroom Dance Club PASSION
- 17-seater formation of modern dance-Dance Academy SZAŁ,
- Girls aged 7-14 years from the Association of Artistic Gymnastics and Dance BIS.
All the performances were rewarded by the audience – children and adults – with thunderous applause.
After the show Santa Claus entered the hall and cheered with the view of more than 120 enthusiastic children, greeted in Polish gathered children, parents and hospital staff.
After he sat on specially prepared for him a comfortable seat he was surrounded by children.
Almost every child wanted to approach as close as possible to be able to look at and touch Santa Claus, to personal check whether this fairy-tale character is really true. Some children completely unafraid sat on Santa’s knees and hugged him.
Most UDSK patients came to the meeting with Joulupukki stocked with self prepared colored drawings and beautiful wishes, which where handed in to Christmas guest
On this day, all UDSK patients, regardless of age, were gifted by Santa Claus presents. Santa Claus Helpers – employees Podlaska Regional Development Foundation – for several days were collecting toys and sweets 260 present bags, to make them attractive and adapted to the age and sex of the child. Present bags were full of all kinds of toys (dolls, cars, teddy bears, puppets, board games, puzzles, books, school supplies, computer accessories and sweets).
Santa Claus, while distributing gifts to the children, received help from volunteers and Snowflake Miss Polonia, which honourable assistance of Jarosław Dworzański – Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodship, Maciej Żywno – Voivode of Podlasie, Andrzej Parafiniuk – Honorary Consul of the Republic of Finland and Ulla Hiitio – Ambassy of Finland. Without their help we would not be able to distribute 25 large bags of gifts.
Podlaska Regional Development Foundation was responsible for coordination activities of this special event. In addition, it is necessary to mention here that the visit of Joulupukki, Santa Claus from Lapland in UDSK and preparation of packages of gifts for hospital patients would not be possible without the generosity of the entrepreneurs from Podlasie, for which they deserve for huge words of thanks.
At the end of his stay in Bialystok Santa Claus met real crowds of youngest residents of our city, and was accompanied by the Lord Mayor Tadeusz Truskolaski in ” firing ” city lights on the city Christmas tree.
Thank you , Santa and please take our invitation to Bialystok for the next year!
Special thanks to volunteers and artists who helped in preparation of this special event:
- Dancers from Ballroom Dance Club PASSION in Bialystok:
- Magda Starzyńska (14 years) i Łukasz Rembiszewski (16 years)
- Coach: Dorota Dudenko-Kielczyk
- Association of Artistic Gymnastics and Dance BIS in Bialystok:
- Emma Roszkowska 7 years, Ola Bieńkowska 9 years, Julia Trusiewicz 10 years, Zosia Żukowska 14 years, Ola Kiszkiel 14 years
- Trenerka: Anna Sokołowska
- Faculty of Arts Bialystok Puppet Theatre Academy:
- „Different story with Bromba”: Małgorzata Chrzanowska, Daria Głowacka, Julia Sacharczuk, Urszula Chrzanowska, Mateusz Krzyżewski
- Elves Orchestra: Milena Kobylińska, Anna Domalewska, Zofia Straczycka, Daniel Lasecki, Patryk Ołdziejewski
- Tutor: dr hab. Marta Rau
- Dance Academy SZAŁ, Bialystok:
- Oliwia Walińska, Gabriela Mikołajczuk, Karol Kaczorowski, Klaudia Nidzgorska, Agnieszka Mazur, Julia Łuszczewska, Paula Protasiewicz, Daria Rogowska, Weronika Kasprzak, Magda Puziuk, Natalia Wołczuk, Magda Hauschild, Gabriela Mikołajczuk, Paula Kierdelewicz, Ola Zalewska, Sylwia Belenia, Karolina Chwaszczewska, Kasia Sienkiewicz, Kamila Ostaszewska.
- Coach: Bernadetta Ziółek
- Volunteers from 7th High School in Bialystok
- Ewa Tymosiuk, Weronika Niewiarowska, Katarzyna Pilip, Emilia Żukowska, Nela Gaimska, Natalia Wieczeryńska
- Tutors: Krystyna i Marek Tomaszuk
Organizers of the „Entrepreneurs for children”:
Partners of the „Entrepreneurs for children”:
Media patronage:
Media reports:
- „Santa Claus from Lapland in Bialystok” – facebook.com
- „Santa Claus arrived and bring the light. Christmas tree is on.” – gazeta.pl
- „Guest with gifts” – TVP Białystok
- Santa Claus in Bialystok – report – Obiektyw TVP Białystok (from 19:04 to 21:25)
- „Meeting of Lapland Santa Claus with dwellers” – Radio Białystok
- „University Clinical Children Hospital. Santa Claus from Lapland visited children” – Gazeta Współczesna
- „Santa Claus from Rovaniemi visited Bialystok” – Kurier Poranny