For Tony Obuck, the true spirit of Christmas can be found in one place - Anton’s Pasta Bar in Burnaby Heights.
Each year since 1990, owner Tony Mauro has shut down the restaurant on Christmas Eve and hosted a dinner for people in need.
Seeing all the children’s faces as they receive presents from Santa Claus – some for the first time, in the cases of recent immigrants – is an amazing sight, according to Obuck, who manages the restaurant.
“The staff members all year long at a separate location wrap gifts, just like a North Pole – they’re like little elves,” he said.
In the beginning, the event was specifically for homeless people from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The restaurant has also been working with Burnaby Family Life for years, and the local non-profit brings in busloads of people, according to Obuck.
In recent years, the restaurant has added Burnaby families, as well.
“Burnaby Family Life started getting a lot of regular folks who just needed income assistance,” he said. “Some were customers, some are locals in the area, and we began shifting more towards Burnaby Family Life because they brought in more of the children.”
This Christmas Eve, Obuck is expecting about 700 people, he said.
From 10 a.m. to noon, the restaurant will primarily serve people from the Downtown Eastside, and from noon to 3 p.m., they’ll serve people from Burnaby – families in need, sexual and physical abuse survivors, some from transition homes, according to Obuck.
Each person will receive a meal of chicken cacciatore with penne, Caesar salad, coffee and beverages, and dessert, he added, and they receive an age-appropriate, gender-appropriate gift.
The adults usually receive socks and underwear while the kids each get a toy, he said.
“Santa Claus will be there with Mrs. Claus, and they’ll be handing out toys that have been collected from all around,” Obuck said.
And this year, there’ll be a special surprise guest to greet the children, according to Obuck.
“For the very first time in history outside of the Olympics, the Coca Cola bear is going to be out front,” he said. “I’m so excited, this has never been done before.”
