Every year, the Parent Council at St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic elementary school in Bradford hosts ‘Cookies with Santa.’
Families can purchase a ticket and drop by the school on a Saturday morning for cookies, hot chocolate, children’s crafts and a one-on-one with Santa Claus, before he heads back to his workshop at the North Pole.
It’s not a fundraiser. “It’s just kind of a kick-back,” said school Principal Susie Rego-Newman, a fun morning for school families. “It’s giving back, and that’s what Parent Council does.”
The event is made possible by the student volunteers who play the role of Santa’s elves – including Grade 8 students at St. Teresa, and local high school students looking for community hours, who help out at each craft table and serve up treats – and local sponsors.
Starbucks provided hot chocolate for the kids and hot coffee for the parents; Longo’s in Newmarket donated the cookies, and F.K. Textiles in Bradford provided support for the event.
Nearly 90 tickets were sold. Parents watched as their kids played with a giant Jenga set, made Christmas crafts and colored pictures, and waited for Santa to arrive.
There were cheers and cries of “It’s Santa!” when the big man in red walked through the door, and big smiles as he sat with each and every child, posing for photos and listening to their Christmas wishes.
