The sound of laughter echoing around the dining hall, the smell of gingerbread wafting through the air, the sight of pure joy on children’s faces; this is the scene of our Annual Gingerbread House decorating contest! It is a truly spectacular sight to behold as 120 homeless men, women, and children all sit down to share in this classic Christmas tradition and decorate 60 gingerbread houses.

This event always touches my heart as I witness families come together to create memories, children eating candy with their friends, and formerly homeless men and women experience the joy and warmth of the Christmas season.
I would like to say a special thank you to Mark and Bronwyn Bucher, who show up each year with their group to help sponsor and host this wonderful event. Without their enthusiasm and support, we would not be able to put on such a magnificent evening for the Rescue Mission residents. I would also like to thank my children, James, Nancy, and Sophie, who all lent a hand and helped to make this event even more special for me as a father.
I was truly amazed at how serious the competition was among the teams! The categories each house could enter in were: Most Traditional, Most Creative, Most Detailed, Most Colorful, and All-Children Team.
Take a look at some of the winning houses:

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