Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Saves Christmas for O.W. Family!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is in Belize just in time for the holidays! You won’t see this red-nosed reindeer galloping though because we are talking about stationary reindeers made from logs. That’s what an enterprising family is doing in the north. They are making reindeers in an outdoor shed in their yard and selling them to make an extra income. And if you don’t believe in the magic of the red-nosed reindeer, you just might after you hear Magnolia Pott’s story about how the reindeer saved their Christmas in the past and may just do so again this year. Reporter Andrea Polanco went to San Estevan Village today to bring you the story of this small business owner.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Just before the Christmas holidays three years ago, Pott’s Furniture Shop in San Estevan village in Orange Walk was struggling to make business. And that’s when owner Magnolia Pott got an idea to make wooden decor based on a fictional character to help supplement their income.
Magnolia Pott
Magnolia Pott, Pott’s Furniture Shop
“Not a single furniture was ordered that yearfor that Christmas, so I sat down and my family was worried that we weren’t going to have Christmas. I told my husband if plan something and put it over facebook and if we get orders, would you do it? He said, what? And I showed him let’s do a reindeer. And he said, hmmm, you are crazy. He said who would buy reindeers? I said, well, let’s try it and I gave it try.”
And that’s how the idea of an all wooden Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer went into production. And the family didn’t know it at the time – but the figurine they created saved Christmas for them in 2017 – and Magnolia says that with the hardships brought on by COVID-19, the reindeer will save the Pott’s Family Christmas once again.
Magnolia Pott
“Actually in 2017, the reindeer was our Christmas saver. It saved Christmas for us and it is very special because my dad said I don’t know where you get those ideas from but I really appreciate what you did for this Christmas.”
Andrea Polanco
“Will the reindeer save Christmas in 2020?”
Magnolia Pott
“The reindeer will save Christmas 2020 because my whole family had COVID in October – we were on quarantine and so my husband said he can’t go to the workshop and work and I haven’t had so much orders. I open my phone and it was messenger with people ordering reindeers and I said, well, Christmas is a time of blessings I guess because we have been blessed with these reindeers.”
And those orders have Magnolia, her husband Ariel and their three boys busy in an outdoor workshop at their home. The family combined their skills to make these log reindeers and earn some extra cash on the side while getting into the Christmas spirit.
Magnolia Pott
“I enjoy it because when we are doing it, I put on some Christmas music and I get into this Christmas spirit. I told my husband that selling these reindeers – we share the Christmas spirit with somebody else. My boys are excited andthey actually help their father and I think it’s a family project we are doing.”
The process starts with the right logs of different size and some basic equipment – once those are in place, Ariel Munoz leads with the sawing and measuring. Once all the pieces are ready – the boys, from the eldest to the youngest help to assemble the reindeer. They drill and fasten the painted eyes in place and the signature red nose is attached. And Magnolia steps in to top off their creation with a festive ribbon. Today, Magnolia advises others to take a leap of faith with their ideas – and calls on the public to support small business owners during these tough economic times.
Magnolia Pott
“I would like to advise whoever to start a small business; start a small project. It could save your Christmas as well. Things like these save people’s Christmas and things like these are the projects that are worth making because people appreciate it. They appreciate the arts and it is very soothing when you are working on these reindeers. We have to learn to support each other. We have to learn to support our Belizean people. People who are out there selling small things like these or arts. These are done with passion. We do it here with passion and people put their all into their projects and go out and sell. They sell because they need financing and sometimes people have a really tough time. Get creative and go out there and find something to do for yourself. Don’t expect people to come and offer you because it won’t come to your doors. Jobs won’t come to your door. You have to go out and find it for yourself and you have to find something that you love.”
Magnolia says that they are proud of this project – it has taken on a whole new meaning for the San Estevan Family. They have plans to continue making the reindeers – and hope to expand into other smaller decorative pieces. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
If you want to find out more about how you can get a reindeer, you can call Magnolia Pott at 601-1719. You can also find Pott at the Brodies and Scotia Bank Parking Lot in Belize City this Saturday.
