Next Sunday at 11:30 am, people wandering through Vecrīga will behold a site never seen before:  dozens of Santas (all in red suits & hats, complete with white beards…) will be running/walking for charity.  The event, organized by Riga International Rotary, will benefit Ronald McDonald House mobile care unit and Rotary charities.  More info:

http://www.santasfunrun.lv

Yes, my family and I will be among those dressed in jolly suits & walking the course.  If anyone cares to support our efforts with a donation, please contact me privately.  And if you are in Riga on the 14th, please come by Dome Square at 11:30AM and cheer us on!

V.

236 views of this message & no replies?  Words of encouragement?  Anybody?  I realize the C* word is on everyone’s mind, but c’mon - this is a good thing, for a good cause… 

well, last I heard the number of running/walking Santas is around 120.  Hurray!

LOL update
This coming Sunday, 14th December, 2008 Vanda Dauksta, an active
Latvians Online community member and Arnis Gross, Technical Director
of Latvians Online along with family, friends and many other Santas
will participate in the first annual Santa Fun Run & Walk through the
centre of Riga. The purpose of this event is to raise funds for a Care
Mobile truck (the second of its type in Europe) to deliver essential
pediatric health care to rural Latvia.

Help us reach our goal of LVL 1000 - Latvians Online is providing the
opportunity for those outside of Latvia to donate to this worthwhile
cause via our PayPal online payments system at:
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=1741109>

or <http://latviansonline.com/about/donate>

More details about the Santa Fun Run at http://www.santafunrun.lv

So, anybody, from practically anywhere can make a donation.  Please do so, if you can.  If you can’t, at least support me & Arnis Gross morally…:-) 

*crisis, duh

Well of COURSE I wish you a great day and encouragement, and can you give an email addy to pledge?

I think it’s really neat that, in addition to Latvia’s own traditions, Latvians are also partaking in traditions with ties to others in other places around the world.

And, I didn’t know Arnis was still there, much less donning a false beard!  Good luck to him, too!

Edit:  Or, I can just pledge to the link provided.  NEVER MIND!!!

Zinshamamma et al.,

“......last I heard the number of running/walking Santas is around 120.”

How does one explain 120 Santas to a kid ?

Visu labu,

Bruno, if I read correctly, her kids will BE two of the 120 Santas!!!

(They’re not the REAL ones, of course!)

Anita - Thanks for your support!

Bruno - my kids will indeed be among the runners/walkers DRESSED as Santa.  Everyone knows the real one has helpers who dress up like him at shopping malls, etc. ;-)  ho ho ho

Updated number - currently at 133!

V.

V

I am sorry that I cannot be there on Sunday. I would at least like to meet you!

Best of luck and hello to Jody Y. and all the great people from Rotary.

What a wonderful event for a wonderful cause!

Zinshamamma et al.,

“Everyone knows the real one has helpers who dress up like him at shopping malls, etc. ;-) ho ho ho Everyone knows the real one has helpers who dress up like him at shopping malls, etc. ;-) ho ho ho “

According to expert authorities on this matter, everybody knows that elves are Santas helpers.  The parade should be 120 marching elves.  The present parade is unfair to elves.

Visu labu,

Thank you everyone for moral support & to those who have made a donation via PayPal, for your financial support as well.  Donations via LatviansOnline/PayPal are currently around $220 USD.  If you can, please donate!  Proceeds go to http://www.rmhc-latvia.lv/Programs.htm

Tom, sorry we won’t be able to meet on Sunday.  But then again, how would you find me in the sea of Santas? ;-)

Bruno - yes, elves are indeed Santas helpers.  But so are those mall Santas - at least that’s how we’ve explained it to our kids…Our oldest is on the verge of still believing - trying to let him…

Tried on our suits today - amusing to say the least.

V.

Lai jums visiem labi veicas and I offer my support as well!!  Ho! Ho! Ho!

Irena

Paldies, Irena!

The current amount of donations through LOL/Paypal is at $850 USD.  Our goal is $1000 USD.  Please help if you can!

<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=1741109>

or

<http://latviansonline.com/about/donate>

The number of registered participants running/walking is around 180!

Tomorrow should be a balmy +2C degrees.  I’m debating whether to wear running shoes or more Santa-eque black boots. 

Ho ho ho!

V.

Current donations via LOL/Paypal are ALMOST $1000 USD. 

If you’ve been THINKING about supporting http://www.santasfunrun.lv but haven’t yet pressed the proverbial button, please do so now.  For those of you that already have - THANK YOU & PALDIES!

Feeling a bit like Jerry Lewis right now.

V.

Latest update - donations through LOL/Paypal are just over $1000 USD.  Our goal has been reached!  Paldies!

Heading out the door now.  Riga unusually sunny today - yes! 

I’ll post a report later tonight.

May the best Santa “win”...

V.

Great run….........the pix are in

http://www.delfi.lv  and http://www.tvnet.lv

I voted for the Dachshundt. 
Thanks for posting the pictures.  Was Zinshamamma and her son in any of them?