Santa will be making a special stop in Port Coquitlam tonight to greet two of his favourite teenagers.
According to Mr. Claus, Brandon and Quinton Vick deserve special recognition for their 15 years of devotion. The twins, who attend Terry Fox secondary school, haven't succumbed to pressures to believe in anything other than the notion that an old guy in velvet and fur can still circle the globe in 24 hours to give gifts to good boys and girls.
The twins are nearly of an age for a driver's licence but they still visit Santa Land at Coquitlam Centre every year and are first in line to sit on Santa's knee. He even knows them by name and asks them about their burgeoning film careers (both appear in the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart, airing in January).
Like many holiday traditions, visiting Santa at the mall is a happy moment and the Vick boys are thrilled to be part of the experience.
"Why wouldn't you believe in Santa?" asks Quinton.
"There wouldn't be a Christmas without him," his brother Brandon chimes in.
The strapping teenagers still sit together on Santa's ample lap, just like they have for every photo taken over the last 15 years. If you gaze at the photos, you can see the boys' features have changed, but not their smiles.
"He's a jolly, happy soul," said Quinton to explain why he and his brother still enjoy visiting the man in red.
"These are special kids," Santa acknowledges.
For Santa, sharing a special moment with the twins - Quinton asked for a wooden baseball bat while Brandon requested video editing software - is part of a fun time at the mall that begins in the middle of November and runs through to Dec. 24 at 4 p.m.
He says the kids who visited him this year weren't demanding, and their requests have mostly been modest, with Lego being the most popular, although more kids are asking for video game systems and laptops these days. But he tells them he has to check with their parents first and they acquiesce to his authority.
"Kids are not outrageous, they have fun and that's the main thing."
Meanwhile, the Vick boys will have trouble getting to sleep tonight as they wait for Santa to arrive. Maybe this will be the year they hear him say as he drives out of sight, shouting, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."
