Santa Claus is Coming to Town
For the second year in a row, the community was invited to have breakfast with Santa at St. Louis Center. On Saturday, December 14th, volunteers from Knights of Columbus Bishop Zaleski Council #6687 prepared and served breakfast for the residents, staff, and guests. When Santa arrived, everyone was excited to greet him and share their hopes for Christmas. About a dozen families from the community and the 17 boys who were attending the spiritual retreat that day enjoyed breakfast, doing crafts, and having their photos taken with Santa.
Festive Fun!
This beloved event is a gift from the Center’s Development & Communications Department to the residents of St. Louis Center, the Chelsea area, and the wider community of people with I/DD. It is an opportunity for families and individuals of all ages and abilities to come and enjoy some communal Christmas cheer. After the shared meal, there were Christmas crafts to work on as each person waited to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Residents and visitors then got to pick out a gift from a large assortment of donated toys. The joy that filled the air was palpable and inspiring.
Thank You
A special thank you to Dan Hooven who starred as Santa this year. His clear commitment to spreading joy was infectious, and everyone loved him. Another big thank you to Kristi Haywood, Santa’s Helper, for ensuring that everything ran smoothly and everyone had fun. We are so thankful to all the volunteers and staff that helped make this event a success as well as everyone that came out for the festivities.
Read the entire issue of St. Louis Spirit here!
