The 17 annual Breakfast with Santa was held on Saturday morning at MedCentral Shelby Hospital. The event consisted of three sessions including a full breakfast in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, The Elves’ Workshop decorating cut out cookies and making a festive holiday picture frame, and getting a picture in Santa’s Den with Marvin the Mouse and Santa.
The Volunteer Service Manager Monica Cirata shared the event is entirely volunteer-based. “We have about 25 volunteers that are helping us out this year. We ask people for their help and they gladly accept. We have volunteers that have been with us since the beginning. We really could not do this without their help,” said Cirata.
Volunteer Anne John has been volunteering for Breakfast with Santa since the beginning. “I have been volunteering with this since the beginning and I just love seeing the children enjoy it. They always look forward to this and they are always just so excited they can’t hardly even eat their breakfast,” she said.
Volunteers Nancy Stansberry and Mimi Thompson have been volunteering for the past three years. “It is just rewarding to be able to give back to the community and see the children enjoy themselves,” said Stansberry.
Cirata said that preparation begins as early as August but is all worth it in the end. This year, the event sold 133 tickets.
“I plan on helping with this every year. We have a few families that come from out of town that come have breakfast with Santa. I just love watching the kids sit on Santa’s lap and watching them around Marvin the Mouse. They love getting their picture with Marvin just as much as they do with Santa,” said Cirata.
Heather and Dave Carpenter have been bringing their daughter, Haley, to enjoy Breakfast with Santa for the past few years. “We started coming when Haley was one and she is currently nine. It’s been a tradition over the years,” said Heather Carpenter.
Haley Carpenter added, “I like making the cookies in the Elves’ Workshop. It’s my favorite part,” said Carpenter.
“I have been chair of this event for the past three years and I have been volunteering for the past six or seven years. We have three activities for the kids to enjoy and they stay at each station for a half an hour, said Ginny Dawson of the MedCentral Shelby Hospital Guild, “I really get enjoyment from seeing the kids happy. They love seeing Santa and Marvin the Mouse. We have had Marvin the Mouse be a part of this for the past two years and the kids just love it,” said Dawson.
