While COVID-19 has kept advice-adhering British Columbians inside the country, a White Rock family is offering to bring the experience of international travel to their front door.

Colin Sprake, his wife Gabi and their daughter Ruby launched 鈥楽taycation Boxes鈥� about two months ago.

For a cost of about $400, the company will ship a box containing a 鈥渦nique luxury experience鈥� that will play to the theme of Mexico, France, Italy, Hawaii or India.

It鈥檚 not a gift box, Sprake stressed, but an experience.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the most important part.鈥�

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A Hawaiian Staycation Box, for example, is intended to start in the evening, with fine cheese and Muay Thai drinks and finish in the morning with Hawaiian coffee and pancakes. The box includes a step-by-step guide on how to enjoy the experience and includes access to recipes, guides, and a music play-list with a Hawaiian theme.

Sprake, who owns seven businesses, said he got the idea for the Staycation Boxes after talking to a travel agent.

He said the agent, who he was mentoring as part of his business coaching service, was at a loss due to the number of trip cancellations caused by the global pandemic. He said she was sending videos to clients of different vacation spots they could possibly go once the virus passed.

鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we just bring the vacation to peoples homes?鈥� Sprake thought.

Sprake said the company has been an instant success, with an unexpected client base accounting for a majority of sales.

鈥淓mployers want to say thank you to their employees, realtors, mortgage brokers want to say thank you to their clients when they buy a property or financial planners want to say thank you to their customers,鈥� Sprake said.

鈥淚n the last month, I really started to look at it and go, 鈥榃e鈥檝e got two markets we need to focus on.鈥�

He said the boxes are designed to be gifts of gratitude, and they include a financial contribution to the food bank.

He said whenever someone orders a box, whether they reside in White Rock or Aurora, Ont., Staycation Box will send a percentage of the proceeds to the food bank that serves the recipient鈥檚 hometown.

鈥淥nce these boxes are done, once a month we sit down and write cheques to all the different food banks, and we ship them out across the country.鈥�

For his own part, Sprake says his family strives to collect 5,000 pieces of food and make a $5,000 donation to the South Surrey White Rock Food Bank ever year.

To learn more about Staycation Boxes, visit

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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