The Regina Aboriginal Kin Club's annual Christmas dinner 2004 was held at Regina's Albert Scott Community Centre on Tuesday, December 28. The Kin Club has sponsored this free dinner for folks from Regina's inner city for the past three years. With the help of our friends at Casino Regina, the Phoenix Group, and Points West Consulting, we have been able to fill the void left by other groups who provide meals at other times of the year, but who take a well-deserved break between Christmas and New Year's.

The Kin Club wants to thank our funding partners for their generous donations. Without them, we couldn't afford to host this annual event. This year's dinner drew almost 500 people. The menu included bison, turkey, ham, veggies, salads, and goodie bags for all of the kids, delivered by Santa himself. In addition to the goodie bags, our friends at the Gathering Place generously donated 500 Roots toques...enough for everyone attending to get one of their own, with some left over for future events.

Here are some of the pictures we took that night...(and the night before, when we had our potato-peeling, goodie bag stuffing party...)

The Night Before Christmas (dinner 2004)

	Clifford Starr, Dennis Acoose, Sean Slater, and Aaron Sklar sort through orange boxes, the first step on our goodie bag assembly line			Lorna Standingready, Lloyd Wilkinson, and Maddie add the final items to the children's goodie bags.

Christmas Dinner

	The serving table is ready. Good food, happy faces, it is going to be a good night!			Lloyd Wilkinson in the kitchen with a young volunteer from the community cooking corn.
	Serving up meat is our good friend Clifford Starr.			Dennis Acoose and friend confirm that everything is going well in the kitchen.
	Salad for you sir?			Iona Starr pauses to smile for the camera.
	Loading up the serving pot with steaming hot mashed potatoes, then serving them.			Lorna and Donna Standingready discuss how the meal is going and troubleshoot how we can get the line moving faster.
	A busy kitchen, Brian Sklar watches as Trudy Sklar and Sue Cherewyk make coffee.			Billy Young helps children prepare their plates as they go through the dinner line.
	Trudy Sklar making coffee...pot number 280?			Our club president, Lorna Standingready, talks with past president, Brian Sklar.
	A mother hands out plates to her children, now it is time to find a spot to sit and enjoy their meal.			A picture of a family enjoying their dinner.
	Our club president, Lorna Standingready, with Regina City Councilor Fred Clipsham.			Kin Warren McCall, MLA for Regina-Elphinstone, with our club president, Lorna Standingready.
	Honey and another volunteer at the Scott Community Centre.			Iona and Kim Starr, lookin' good....
	Honey, a volunteer at the community centre has her picture taken with past club president, Brian Sklar.			Kin Warren McCall and Alfred Rogalski
	Volunteers at the centre gather around Santa for a picture.			Santa and one of his many helpers.
	Santa gives his elves a little pre-game talk.			Darren, a volunteer coach with the Regina Aboriginal Kin Running Club gives Santa and his friend a big hug.
	Billy Young and Santa show a couple the hats they are handing out, a donation made possible by Perry Boyko and the Gathering Place..			Santa and helper Billy Young.
	Santa hands out a toque and bag of treats to a couple children that are excited to see he made it out on such a cold night.			Youngsters with their gifts from Santa.
	All fueled up and ready to go.			All bundled up and ready to go...children wait in line to see Santa before they head for home.
	As things begin to slow down, Ted Cherewyk takes a moment to smile for the camera.			The "Young" family poses for a Christmas photo.
	One of the children asks if he can be included in a photo of Damon and Adrienne Sklar...the newly weds.			One of Regina's finest smiles as she works away at the Community Centre the night of the Christmas Dinner.
	Donna Standingready holds her grandson with pride. It won't be long before Donna has him mashing potatoes and serving corn at a future Christmas Dinner.			Billy Young and Santa wait by the door for the last remaining families to bundle up and head back home for the evening.
	Ted Cherewyk, wearing one of those rare Aboriginal Kin Club shirts.			Damon Sklar waits for someone to finish eating so he can spring into action and whisk away the dirty dishes like an action hero.
	Adrienne Sklar has a laugh while she stacks chair number 237.			Brian Sklar poses for the camera while sweeping up after another successful Christmas Dinner.
	Aaron Sklar starts putting away chairs and folding tables now that the hall has started to clear.			Ted Cherewyk and Trudy Sklar busy doing dishes.

Thank-you to our sponsors...