The Secret Society of Santas is not just a Myth.
Tags: Santa, Kindness, Santa Claus, Gift Ideas, Kindness Of Strangers

Yes, Virginia, we can confirm that there are actually teams of “Secret Santas”

… in neighbourhoods like ours who are bringing gifts of kindness to unsuspecting people during this Holiday Season.

We all want Disneyesque “Story-Book” endings.

But “real” Life stories never quite go as imagined. They meander and wander with unanticipated outcomes.

A few weeks ago, we entered “The Great Furnace Giveaway” sponsored by Derrick Davidson Mechanical Services, a local company based in Caledonia. (You can still click here to read our original story).

Like many other local business owners, we have been affected by COVID.

Just days before the mandatory closure of our Dance Club/Studio in March, we were at home in bed; drifting into the twilight of sleep. We heard a loud “scream”. Actually, it was more like a “screech”. As if two knife edges were being scraped back and forth, over and over. Our furnace had broken down.

Two days later on Friday, March 13th — yes, Friday the 13th — and only 2 weeks to go before the end of the Winter term, we had to shut down danceScape because mandatory lockdowns, our home away from home where we had been teaching for the past 20 years. As a “non-essential” local business, we had to stop all our “In-Studio” Ballroom, Salsa, Wedding Dance, and Fitness classes.

As fate would have it, we had been collecting photography lights, green screens, webcams, and even a pocket-sized live event camera over the years. As well as dabbled in virtual reality and livestreaming with Periscope, Facebook and other apps. (One of us likes shiny new tech objects!)

In just 7 days during March Break, we transformed our un-heated basement into a home “internet television” station, broadcasting our dance and fitness classes to Students. Necessity is indeed the mother of creation!

Spring came. Then Summer.

Thanks to another alumni Student-Friend, Brandon, we discovered that there was no need for the furnace to run the air conditioner. So that meant we could put off its replacement while still keeping cool during the summer.

When Fall arrived, our focus was on kick-starting “In-Studio” classes and implementing new COVID Health & Safety Protocols to ensure safety of those Students who preferred to come back to learn in person.

And ensuring that we watched our pennies for business rent and expenses so that we and danceScape remained a going concern.

Thankfully, we had a mild Fall. And with the Gas Fireplace on the main floor and Space Heaters in the Basement and Bedroom, we were able to heat all the living areas.

We are not one to ask for help even when we are in need. It’s an unfortunate character flaw that we just tend to “suck it up” and push on, with child-like faith that everything is going to be ok. It’s something that children of immigrant families whose parents or grandparents have either survived “the War(s)” or who root themselves in other countries to escape political persecution so that their children could lead a better life.

So, we pushed through and made it through our Fall programs.

One evening, as Beverley was skimming through our local Stoney Creek Newspaper, she came across an article about “The Great Furnace Giveaway”. All we had to do was to tell our Story about “why you or someone you know deserved to win a fully installed new furnace”! The winner would be the one with the most facebook reactions.

Just as our December bootcamps ended a little more than one week before Christmas, we received a phone call from one of our dear Student-Friends, John & Cathy, who had asked one of our other Student-Friends, Gary & Martha, if we had won the new furnace.

Discovering that we had not, John had an idea about how they could help.

They were renovating their new house and their contractor indicated that he might have access to a furnace from another house that was being renovated. It might be possible to remove that furnace and gift it to us. They, along with Gary & Martha, would take care of the installation as a “Gift”.

The next day, Gary called and indicated that the furnace was not “high efficiency” and unfortunately would not be a match. But that the contractor would still come out to see us in case an appropriate furnace becomes available.

We were totally “gob-smacked” that unbeknownst to us, they were brainstorming behind-the-scenes about how they could help!

The day after, Gary called again and asked if the contractor had come. When we indicated “not yet”, he had remembered that the son of one of his former neighbours — Marco — was in the HVAC business. He would ask him to contact us to see if the furnace could possibly be repaired. Because we were continuing to shop around for price quotes, we could get one from him.

Marco arrived on Thursday, December 17th and immediately identified that it was the motor that had broken down. The good news was that he had access to a supplier who could get us a replacement from the original equipment manufacturer.

Not only that, he noticed our “patchwork” repair to one of the Hot Water Heater exhaust pipes, and that he could also fix that. Apparently, it was the one that removed carbon monoxide from the home.

On Friday, Marco returned and in less than an hour, our Furnace began purring again.

We finally had heat!

Not only that, but in a personal follow up phone call, Gary confided that they were all prepared to help in whatever way they could — even if it meant replacing the entire furnace! They had also been talking to another long-time Student-Friends, Joe & Pat, who wanted to be part of their “Secret Santa Society” to help us out.

So a BIG Thank you to Santa John, Santa Cathy, Santa Gary, Santa Martha, Santa Joe, Santa Pat and last but definitely not least, Santa Marco. If we could, we would physically hug each and every one of you. There are no words to express the gratitude that we have to be the recipients of your kindness. You have not only warmed our Home, but also our Hearts.

How lucky we are to have you as Student-Friends who have become like family. As well as others who continue to support us and danceScape, but also other local businesses. Sometimes, we all need a little help from friends.

Yes Virginia, we also believe in Santa Clause(s)!

With Gratitude & Blessings during this Holiday Season,

Robert & Beverley

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About Robert Tang & Beverley Cayton-Tang

Robert & Beverley are former 3-time Canadian and 2-time North American Ballroom Champions, now retired from the world of competitive dancing. Over the past 20 years, you may have seen them on the Marilyn Dennis Show, Dragons’ Den (Canada’s equivalent of Shark Tank), The Healthy Gourmet, Breakfast Television, CHCH Television, and CBC Newsworld. Or read about their Ballroom Dance Achievements in the Globe & Mail, The Star, The Spectator, The Post, and Ming Pao. They continue to provide in-studio learning programs and online digital learning that inspire, empower and connect people with a passion for dance so that they can shine not only on the dance floor but in their personal and work life. You can visit them on instagram @dancescape, facebook @dancescapeTV, twitter @dancescape and www.dancescape.TV.

About Santa Marco

Santa Marco Nusca is an HVAC Technician who usually works for commercial clients but ended up helping us. He not only installs furnaces, but is a dedicated young professional with old-school values that entire units don’t necessarily need to be replaced when only a part goes wrong. Plus, his superpowers of observation and empathy for safety others — like the Exhaust piping from our Electric Heater — ensured that we didn’t accidentally die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Please contact us at support@dancescape.com or Tel 905 633–8808 if you need any electrical, mechanical or other home or business repairs done by Santa Marco.

About The Secret Society of Santas

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, we’re telling you why … the Secret Society of Santas are making lists and checking them twice and you too may be the unsuspecting recipients of their kindness in your neighbourhood!