Santa Claus Visits St. Paul’s Hospital’s Maternity Centre

Vancouver, December 19, 2007 — In what has become a well-known Vancouver Christmas tradition, Santa Claus (Dal Richards) will pay a visit to the Maternity Centre at St. Paul's Hospital on Friday, December 21 at 1:30 p.m.
Santa makes the visit each year on behalf of Variety – The Children's Charity, major donors to the Maternity Centre's Variety Club Special Care Nursery. Santa will be singing and giving away stuffed animals and blankets to children and parents in the Centre. His friends from Variety will also be there to give out “Gold Heart Pins.”

Dal Richards is a world-renowned band leader and Ambassador-at-Large for Variety – The Children's Charity, who has been visiting St. Paul's Hospital for over 10 years. He also has a special connection to the maternity ward at St. Paul's- his daughter Dallas was born a “preemie” at St. Paul's in November, 1951. He was so grateful for the care she received during her six week stay there as an infant that he jumped at the chance to be Variety's Ambassador-at-Large.

St. Paul's Hospital is part of Providence Health Care, Canada's largest Catholic health care organization.

Event: Santa Claus Visits Maternity Centre
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Date: Friday, December 21, 2007
Place: St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street

Media are invited — If you are attending this event, please check in with a PHC Communications staff member at the information desk on the main floor of the Burrard building at 1:15 p.m.

Contact:

Kim Mulder
Providence Health Care Communications
Tel. 604-806-8022
PHC Media Pager: 604-252-4261