MANSFIELD — One thousand children are sure to have a fun-filled day of Christmas cheer at Malabar Intermediate School on Saturday.
The Richland Outreach Center is hosting its 8th annual “Cookies with Santa” event that includes dinner, toys, photos and games.
Tara Klebowski, founder and executive director of the Richland Outreach Center, said the organization will cap the event at 1,000 kids to ensure there are enough goodies for everyone.
“We made it a bit smaller in previous years, but we’re opening it up to the public again this year,” she said. “Everyone will get a full-course Christmas dinner, and we’ll have cookies and hot chocolate, too.”
Klebowski said ROC will have multiple stations for kids to make crafts, pick out toys and stockings, play games and decorate cookies.
“Everything is free, and all the kids go home with a new toy, hat and gloves,” she said.
The event is from 2 to 5 p.m. at 205 W. Cook Road. Kids can take photos with Santa and also see the Grinch.
“Our Grinch is amazing, he watched the Jim Carrey movie over and over again and based his character off of that,” Klebowski said. “He’s starting to become his own attraction at that event, but he’s nice when it comes to the kids.”
Klebowski said the Cookies with Santa event started eight years ago when ROC was founded.
“I saw a need in the community for more resources and affordable kids’ programs, so that’s where we try to step in,” she said. “The people who need us I think know who we are, but events like this help us network with businesses and other community members to expand our services.”
Sponsors of the Cookies with Santa event include the Phillips Family Foundation, Third Street Family Health Services, Warren Rupp Inc, United Steelworkers unions of Mansfield and Wooster, VFW posts 9943 and 3494, Club Clover/ Sons of Italy and Bike Medix Ltd.
“We have so many amazing community members who have helped put this together, and I’m grateful to all of them,” Klebowski said.
Visitors can reach the center online at richlandoutreachcenter.org, by phone at 419-565-0903 or on Facebook. The center accepts donations anytime on Venmo @ROC2016.
