A London holiday fixture is on the move, again.
Santa’s House, which raises money for sick children, was relocated Thursday from its spot outside Covent Garden Market to a temporary home a couple of blocks away.
“It looks funny. Oh my gosh, I feel like it’s going to crash into the building. That guy did a really good job,” commented one passerby.
The big red house weighs about 17,000 pounds, and is 28 feet by 27 feet in size.
It takes a great deal of coordination and care to move the structure, with various parties involved, according to mover Richard Friesen of Continental Building Movers.
“The first part, lifting the building. You gotta lift it, load it. And the big challenge is getting it out of this location here. And the secondary part is the traffic light management people at Guild. And of course the police blocking the traffic,” Friesen explained.
Operated by the TLC Foundation, Santa’s House has become a holiday favourite. Visitors take pictures with Santa, and funds raised help terminally ill children.
The house is being moved to make room for work being done at Covent Garden Market, said TLC founder, Leo Larizza.
“They kinda said, ‘we gotta tear down the house.’ You know what, tearing down the house would not be good for the city of London because it helps so many children. Terminally ill, sick, and underprivileged children during the year,” Larizza explained.
Larizza says the house was saved when Continental Building Movers stepped in to relocate it, and Farhi Holdings offered space for it at a property on Ridout Street N.
In its ten years Santa’s House has been situated at Victoria Park, Storybook Gardens, and the Covent Garden Market. TLC Foundation is hoping to find a permanent place for it before this year’s holiday season.
“We have a passion for the children in our community, and we won’t let anything stop us. So hopefully we find a home,” said Larizza.
Larizza estimates Santa’s House has raised close to $1 million for sick and underprivileged children over the past decade.
