Ladner school kids rally for pyjama drive

Students at Port Guichon Elemetary have collected over 100 pyjamas for the Christmas Pyjama Drive in Delta. From left: Madison, Molly and Tiah (all 9 years old).

Adrian MacNair photo

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Christmas is an exciting time for children eager to receive presents from Santa, but the children at Port Guichon Elementary in Ladner are finding that giving feels good, too.

Molly Millward, 9, started a pyjama collection drive at her school in order to collect a goal of 500 pairs of new pyjamas for Deltassist's Christmas hamper program, which will end up under the Christmas trees of needy children.

"I like doing it because it's traditional for our family to get pyjamas and I would be sad if somebody didn't get any on Christmas," says Molly, decked out in a bedazzling pink pair of jammies.

Molly's cousin started a similar drive in Surrey two years ago and it inspired her to do the same. She recruited a couple of friends along the way, including Madison and Tiah from her class.

In Tiah's household the tradition is to get a new pair of pyjamas on Christmas Eve to wear to bed before Santa comes. The thought of a child going to bed without new snugglies on Dec. 24 doesn't sit well with Tiah.

The three wrote a Pyjama drive script and then took turns reading it over the Public Announcement system at their school to motivate other kids to get involved. They now have 150 pairs of donated, new P.J.s with more on the way every day.

"We get to give kids a good Christmas," says Molly. "There's a lot of pyjamas and when I come through the [school] doors on Wednesdays I get to see all the new ones."

The school was scheduled to have a pyjama day for the entire student body on Friday (Nov. 30) which Molly hopes will push the donation numbers even higher.

"I'm proud they're getting involved in doing something  in their community," says Tiah's mom Lynne Tarumoto. "It just makes you feel good that the kids realize there's more to Christmas than getting."

Molly's mom Lesley Millward says even her four-year-old son has gotten into the spirit, using his toy karaoke machine to make announcements about the pyjama drive.

Pyjama donations are being accepted for ages newborn to 16 until Dec. 8. The girls have been sorting them for age, sex, and size.

New pyjamas can be dropped off at Port Guichon Elementary, Urban Rack, Buggy Babies Fitness, Buttercups Children's Boutique in Ladner and Brown's Socialhouse in Tsawwassen. Brown's is also holding a special promotion. Anyone who brings a donation to the restaurant on Dec. 9 will receive 50 per cent off their food bill.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.