DECEMBER 28, 2022 www.wintertexantimes.com 14 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Call Today For Your Free Estimate Call Mark Anytime At 956-357-1048 WE WANT TO BUY YOUR TRUCK•CAR•SUV•VAN RVTRAVELTRAILER•5THWHEEL•MOTORHOME•BUS CARGO OR FLATBEDTRAILER•ATV•MOTORCYCLE•BOAT MINI-MOTOR HOME•CAMPERVAN•TOYHAULER •GOLF CART WE WANT TO BUY YOUR RV 27146 McLelland Road., Harlingen, TX 78552 (956) 423-1446 Lower Valley / 956-664-1446 Upper Valley Visit us at www.gowithjo.com for complete itineraries Transportation for Leslie’s Cruise ���������������������������������������������������������������� $299 (2 Days) Feb. 26, 2023 (Includes: Round trip, Hotel, Hors d’oerves, 3 well drinks, breakfast) U.S. TOURS Go...With Jo! Tours & Travel Holiday Tours! We wish you a Merry Chrsitmas and a Happy New Year Eagle Pass Gambling ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$235 (2 Days) Jan. 10 & 24, 2023 (Prices are per person, double occupancy) make the night a success. “I worked with Evelyn Kane, who’s very organized,” Betty Steinbach said. “The two of us worked well together -- she crossed off the names and I handed out hundreds of tickets. At the end of the night, I couldn’t imagine that many kids going through! It was amazing!” Two other Winter Texan elves helped guide the long line of children to Santa and The Grinch, where free photos were taken. One little girl cried and wouldn’t go to get her photo with Santa while the Grinch was there, so Mary Lou (dressed as The Grinch’s dog Max) said she had to chase the green creature away and make him hide until the child’s photo was taken. The free-photos-with-Santa-andThe-Grinch mini stage was a hit. “I loved just seeing the kids all dressed up for Santa,” Carol Norman (herself dressed as an elf) said. “They wanted to be on his lap. They were so excited! That was fun!” Other Winter Texans were on stage distributing toys to children -- from infants through 15-year-olds. With their presents in hand, the children exited the stage down a large yellow slide. At the bottom of the slide, two Winter Texan volunteers helped ensure the children were safe. “It was a lot of fun!” Paul Craig said. “Heck, the little kids had a great time! They thanked us!” He said that some of them didn’t act like they had ever been down a slide. While some were leery, most went down enthusiastically. A few reluctant ones sat on their mom’s laps to make the short trip to the bottom. It was the children who made it special for the volunteers, as well as for Landa. He said the reaction on the kids’ faces when they saw Santa Claus was the highlight for him. “I saw kids hugging him and crying when they saw the Grinch,” he said. “It’s something they’ll remember and so will their parents. That made it worthwhile!” The Landmark on Tower owner was extremely pleased with the evening’s success. “I told the Winter Texan volunteers after the event was over last night that everything that I had pictured in my head, everything that we wanted to do, … we did!” he said. “I didn’t realize the amount of effort we would have needed for it to happen the way it did …without them!” With a goal to ensure that Alamo children and their parents continue to have good Christmas memories, he said he’s counting on this year’s Winter Texan volunteers being there for next year’s party. *The Landmark on Tower’s 2022 Community Fund earned over $15,000 from vendors, who paid $20 to rent a table in the restaurant’s courtyard. The money was earmarked to benefit the citizens of Alamo, especially its children. RESCUE From pg. 2 Carol and Mark working on fence To help decorate the large courtyard, Winter Texans Carol and Mark Norman tied candy cane decorations and mounted a giant-sized, homemade lollipop to the fence surrounding The Landmark on Tower. The entire group of volunteers spent a couple of hours putting the final decorative touches on the courtyard.
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