Some of Prince Albert’s youngest and smallest athletes will show off their speed when the Gateway Mall Baby Crawl returns for the first time since 2019.
At its peak, the annual race attracted more than 30 babies and their families, who raced for an assortment of prizes donated by Gateway Mall merchants.
Mall marketing coordinator Donna Hordyski said the event was very popular prior to COVID-19, so she’s anticipating a big return.
“It is just a lot of fun to watch these little youngsters, these little babies, do a little bit of crawling,” Hordyski said. “I mean, just some of the photos that we have from the past, all they do is they bring a smile to your face. You see some who are not so happy. You see some who are laser focused on getting to the end. You see some who will just stop and sit and take it all in. It’s also very, very fun to watch the parents and the guardians cheering their little ones on to victory.”
Hordyski said it’s not just families who enjoy the event either. Gateway Mall businesses were big supporters of the Baby Crawl in past years, and Hordyski said many of them were eager to bring it back.
“We look forward to it every year,” she said. “Really and truly, it is an opportunity to have some fun, to win some great prizes, to work with the community and bring the community together to enjoy another event.”
Tots Treasure Trunk in Prince Albert will provide the grand prize for the winner of this year’s event, but 18 other local businesses have also donated. The list of prizes includes items for parents as well as their babies, and is worth a combined $1,850.
Families can enter their babies just by making a donation to Family Futures, who are co-sponsors of the event. Residents can donate diapers, formula, baby toys, or cash as a way of supporting the organization.
Hordyski said the Baby Crawl is one way to draw attention to the mall’s many non-profits.
“It is extremely important for Gateway Mall to be a community-minded shopping centre. That is foremost and forefront to what Gateway Mall wants to give back,” she explained.
“It’s important for us to partner with these organizations in bringing events that bring children and families to the mall to have some fun and learn some things, learn some things about each other and learn things through play, learn things through just basically having some fun.”
Gateway Mall is home to three non-profit family organizations in their dedication to helping parents and guardians with families.
The 2023 Gateway Mall Baby Crawl begins on Saturday with registration at 11:30 a.m. The races are scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. under the skylight in Centre Court. The race schedule will be determined by the number of entrants.