Santa can finally relax with his special cuddle blanket

After another hectic night delivering toys to boys and girls
all over the world, Santa finally got to relax this morning with his special cuddle
blanket which was presented to him by John Macaulay MBE, Convenor of FACE
(Fighting Against Cancer in Edinburgh) during the charity’s 26th annual trip to
Lapland earlier this month.

The blanket was one of a number made at the Cuddles for
Cancer Drop In Centre in Lakefield, Ontario and with the assistance of British
Airways and the Canadian Consul General’s office transported from Pearson
International Airport to Edinburgh via London.

Each child who made the journey to Lapland received their
own blanket and the final blanket was reserved for Santa in recognition of all
his hard work throughout the year.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “This was a very
special initiative, that meant a lot to many involved, everyone at Cuddles for
Cancer and the children that received them. Thank you so very much to everyone
involved including Nick from Global Baggage who was exceptionally helpful at
the airport & a pleasure to work with, Kelly from British Airways and
Kevin, the Consul-General, and Jamil & Jessica from the Consul-Generals
office in Toronto for their support, time & efforts. You are ALL very much
appreciated & your generosity exemplified the true meaning of Christmas!”

Cuddles for Cancer was created by nine-year-old Faith Dickinson
in 2012. She began making her signature fleece tie blankets for cancer patients
as they went through chemotherapy, with the hope that they would offer comfort,
warmth & love. To date, more than 5,500 Cuddle blankets have been made
& they have been sent to more than 45 countries worldwide. Faith is a firm
believer that “everyone deserves a cuddle”, so they are also given to
people suffering from other illnesses and diseases, the homeless, those
grieving and to Canadian Veterans and Soldiers serving overseas or when they
return home injured or suffering from PTSD. They also have a signature blanket
for First Responders.

Santa told the Edinburgh Reporter: “It was great to get home
this morning and relax with my cuddle blanket. I’d like to thank John and everyone
from Cuddles for Cancer for their generous gift. Lapland can get quite cold at
this time of year so the blanket was the perfect present.

“Merry Christmas to everyone and I’ll see you all again next
December.”