Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — Lisa Walker remembers being a teenager, standing outside her parents’ home and grabbing bags of candy as Santa Claus and Parsons Lions Club members passed by.
Walker, 52, is now one of the more than 30 Lions Club members and other volunteers passing out the candy alongside Santa.
“We hit 75 percent of the streets in Parsons,” said Walker, president of the Parsons Lions Club, as the annual Parsons Lions Santa Parade kicked off Saturday. Volunteers said it was the 38th year for the event that brings wide smiles to the faces of neighborhood children.
“For some of these kids, this is the only time they see Santa Claus,” explained Walker.
The parade, which begins at Schiel’s Family Market on George Avenue and ends at Nowak’s Ornamental Iron Works on Scott Street, began at 10:30 a.m., with Santa and Mrs. Claus leading the jaunt through the snowy streets of north Wilkes-Barre.
“The kids get excited about it,” said 51-year-old Paul Stucker, another Lion from Wilkes-Barre.
In addition to seeing Santa, Mrs. Claus and the singing marchers, children also received bags of candy, much to their delight.
“It’s nice to see everyone all happy and Christmas-sy,” said Heather Mosley of Bear Creek, who lived in Parsons prior to moving. She remained a member of the Lions Club and participates in the parade because she “loves the people,” she said simply, as she ushered in the holidays with her 9-year-old little sister, Lauren.
Also on hand to make kids smile was the Wilkes-Barre Bears football mascot, whose team members offered to participate.
“They wanted to join us,” said a proud Walker, mentioning that she’d likely cry at least five times throughout the march because of the community support and the joy the parade brings to children.
Walker and other club members packed 1,000 bags of candy in advance of the event to ensure no child went without at least one bag of treats.
“We have a little bit of everything,” said Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Bill Barrett as he passed bags filled with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats and other goodies.
While Barrett and others are yearly participants, some such as Victor Vega of the Wilkes-Barre Bears walked for the first time.
The Lions Club is a sponsor of the Bears, he said, so it only made sense to join the fun, adding that his club hopes to march in “many more to come.”
