Two tickets to paradise set to be awarded at Santa Shuffles in Halifax and Moncton

by Maritime
Categories: News Archive
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    Christmas will come early to two Santa Shufflers in the Maritimes next week. WestJet has partnered with two races in the Maritimes this year, offering the fantastic prize of two tickets anywhere the airline flies to one fortunate Santa Shuffler in Halifax and in Moncton.

    The hardest part might be deciding where to go. Currently, WestJet flies to over 100 destinations in North America, including coast-to-coast in Canada, the United States including California, Florida and Hawaii, Mexico and Caribbean locales such as Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica and more.

    In Halifax, to get your name on a ballot all you have to do is raise at least $50 in pledges.

    In Moncton, the tickets are awarded to the individual who raises the most funds.

    WestJet has partnered with the Santa Shuffle in Halifax for a few years, adding Moncton to the mix last year, providing a number of Maritimers with this incredible prize. Melissa Hartlen is one of the fortunate Santa Shufflers to win the prize, claiming it at the Halifax race in 2011. She had participated in the Santa Shuffle before, and was well aware of the prize, but it still came as a shock to hear her name called.

    “I screamed,” she recalls. “We were in the auditorium and when my name was called it was the last thing I was expecting in a million years. I could hardly believe it. Everyone clapped and cheered, and it was so exciting.”

    After the excitement had died down, Hartlen got down to the business of choosing where to go. In the end, she jetted off to St. Lucia for 10 days with her boyfriend. Regular travellers, Hartlen says that winning the tickets opened up a number of new destinations.

    “It was awesome,” she says. “We usually go somewhere once a year, but winning the flight we were able to pick somewhere we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to go.”

    Hartlen has one clear message to anyone filling out the ballot on Saturday, Dec. 7, thinking that they have no chance of taking home such an incredible prize.

    “That’s what I thought,” she admits. “I felt that exact same way filling out that ballot and look what happened. I was absolutely shocked. I could have had a heart attack. I’ll say this, it signed me up for the Santa Shuffle for life.”

    This year’s Santa Shuffle will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7. Head to www.santashuffle.com to register, and begin collecting pledges. If you’re competing in Halifax or Moncton, you soon might be flying high.