The St. Nicholas-St. Mary School Junior Choir performs during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
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Lucille Keegan, left, and John Keegan pose for a photo during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Seven-year-old Terri Krommes, of Plymouth, takes a break from enjoying a cupcake to pose for a photo during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre City Mayor George C. Brown passes out gift bags to attendees of the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa, which was held in the Firwood United Methodist Church on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Seven-year-old Terri Krommes, of Plymouth, takes a break from enjoying a cupcake to pose for a photo during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre City Mayor George C. Brown passes out gift bags to attendees of the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa, which was held in the Firwood United Methodist Church on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
The St. Nicholas-St. Mary School Junior Choir performs during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Lucille Keegan, left, and John Keegan pose for a photo during the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa on Saturday.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — Of the more than 50 special needs individuals who attended the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee’s Christmas Party with Santa, each one left with two bags filled with Christmas gifts personally tailored to their interests.
Each December for the past several years, special needs individuals and their families have flocked to the community room inside the Firwood United Methodist Church for a few hours of Christmas cheer, organized by the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground Committee.
And, for some, it has become an annual tradition.
“It’s my second time here, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Jennifer Gowan, who attended the event with family friends Jenny and Benjamin Reese.
Kelly Wasylkewicz, Joan Searfoss, Jean Kopacz and John Langdon, of Step by Step, also returned to the event, marking their third annual visit.
“We really like it here — it’s a very fun event,” said Searfoss.
For Wasylkewicz, seeing her clients’ joy each year makes the Christmas party something she looks forward to.
“It’s just great seeing how happy they are when Santa Claus walks in, and they enjoy eating the food and meeting new people while they’re here,” she said.
Aside from the visits and photos with Santa, food and live entertainment by the St. Nicholas-St. Mary School Junior Choir and Polka Bandski, attendees were also called up one-by-one to receive bags of gifts, courtesy of Valley Santa.
“When people register, they tell us their age, gender, developmental age and what they like. Valley Santa then buys gifts for each of the children based on their developmental age and their interests, and each person here received two large bags full of gifts,” said Wilkes-Barre Mayor George C. Brown.
Although the event exceeded capacity, Brown said some individuals were unable to attend due to illness. Rest assured, however, as Brown says they will still receive their gifts.
“There were some people who were ill and couldn’t make it, so for those individuals we will deliver their gifts to their home. They’re not going to miss out. Everyone who registered will get a gift from Santa Claus,” Brown said.
In addition to a special needs Easter egg hunt set for next year, Brown hopes to continue bringing the Christmas party back annually.
“We’re going to hold it every year to make sure that the people that are special needs have a place to come and have a party with Santa Claus and that they get to have a great time,” Brown said.
