Adrian Pearce was given a Christmas present and a broken heart back in December of 1970, and though he has since married and had children, he still has not opened the now-48-year-old gift that was given to him by his high school flame.
Pearce was given the present by Vicki Allen, a high school girlfriend who left him in 1970 for an older boy, though handed Pearce a small, blue, box-shaped present before saying goodbye. Pearce vowed never to open the present, writing a quick Facebook post about it on December 18, 2017.
See also
- Cineplex is opening an exclusively adults-only theatre in Calgary
- Woman caught flying into YYC with more than a kilo of heroin
- Meet Calgary's newest near-million dollar public art piece
Media attention was quick to follow, with Pearce’s story making international headlines just days before Christmas that year.
Photo of the 48-year-old Christmas Present (Adrian Pearce/Facebook)
Pearce wrote an updated Facebook post on December 23, explaining a few more details about the situation that left him holding onto a near-half-century-old gift.
“[Vicki] broke up with me at this time of the year in 1970 and that was when she gave me the gift,” Pearce wrote in the December 23 post.
“She left me for an older guy named Wolf who she called Wolfie.”
The post goes on to explain that he tried to reach out to Vicki once it was clear that the story was taking off, but had no luck tracking her down with a few now-out-of-service phone numbers.
Adrian Pearce and Vicki Allen (Adrian Pearce/Facebook)
Flash forward to a year later, and Pearce has managed to find Vicki Allen, and has even written a book about the long-unopened present titled “The 47 Year Old Present.”
Earlier this year Pearce announced that he will finally be opening the present at an event in Edmonton, which will be taking place tonight, December 6.
Pearce and Allen will both be at the official opening, which will be hosted at Gracie Jane’s beginning at 7 pm sharp. Tickets are available online for $5 a head to attend the event, with all proceeds going towards the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton.
The 47-Year-Old Present Opening
When: Thursday, December 6, 2018
Time: 7 pm to 11 pm
Where: A Boutique Gallery Bar by Gracie Jane — 31a Perron Street, St. Albert
Tickets: $5, Available online
Follow Channels and Categories