By Barb Zanetti

Tripp Wright of Alamo Rec-Veh Park said he missed being Santa to over 2,000 children after Progeso’s Amigo group disbanded last year. So, he came up with a plan to entertain hundreds of children, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone.

To help local needy children and their families enjoy the Christmas season, Tripp persuaded three groups to pool their resources and their volunteers. In less than a month they planned, collected contributions, and shopped for a Dec. 11 party, which they called “Santa’s Posada”.

 

This event became a reality due to the efforts of the McAllen Elks Lodge #1402 (Exalted Ruler Milly Hernandez), McAllen Southern Justice Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club (Chapter Secretary Eli Garcia, road name Ghiandi) and Alamo Rec-Veh Park (Tripp, aka Santa).

Even before he played Santa, Tripp maintained a firm belief that all children should enjoy the Christmas holiday.

“Underprivileged kids should get the same joyous day as the privileged,” he said. “I say: ‘Make the celebration equal for all children – rich or poor’.”

Because of the efforts of so many, the Saturday morning Christmas celebration for 200 children and their families became a reality. More than 60 volunteers were ready when McAllen’s Elks Lodge doors opened.

To do his part, the excited Santa actor donned his $500 Santa suit, added white bushy eyebrows, a full white beard, and a hat with a long white-haired wig (to cover his bald head), and then he let his playful side emerge.

“I’m the person who can pull it off with the kids because I’m a big kid myself,” he said. “I play with the kids. With the one who cries. I play with the one who is happy, with the one kid who is not happy. I know how to treat them.”

However, because of his terminal cancer diagnosis, Tripp isn’t always patient with those who didn’t immediately act on his plans to make Christmas special for as many children as he could.

“Honestly, he was very pushy and ‘on me’ to make this event happen,” Milly said.

After the event was over and the Lodge doors closed Saturday afternoon, she said she realized how much all of them had done in only three weeks.

“I am proud and excited about how successful Santa’s Posada was,” she said. “I love Tripp for allowing me to be part of his vision.”

According to Tripp, Milly is the person to make Santa’s Posada an annual event. He says that’s because he and Milly are Tasmanian devils with their fast and furious party planning.

“It’s bing, bing, bing,” he said. “Then everything goes off without a hitch.”

Each organization had a role to play to help the community.

According to Eli, many local families are in need of food, so his motorcycle group made a donation and then contributed canned food and non-perishables to the event.

“A lot of these kids weren’t asking much for toys or stuff,” Eli said. “It was more blankets, food, jackets, things like that.”

It was the combined efforts of the groups that made a difference, according to Eli.

“Many families won’t have a good Christmas,” he said. “Maybe [Santa’s Posada] is the only Christmas they’re going to have.”

The motorcycle club leader felt all the volunteers gained from participating in the event.

“Giving to those kids, seeing their smiling faces, and knowing they were happy made a difference for us, too,” Eli said.

It was difficult for the children not to smile.

Along with having their photos taken with Santa, the kids were treated by Elk Lodge members to lunch, as well as encouraged to join in the Elks’ cookie decorating activity, to make tree ornaments, and to play a variety of oversized games.

There was much at the party for everyone.

Some of the families’ needs were met when they received bags of food, blankets, and clothing.

For children, ARVP and Elks Lodge “elves” provided crayons, children’s books, candy, crocheted caps, hair scrunchies, pencils, coloring books, spiral notebooks, and … a toy for every child.

Helping with donations to buy toys and organizing the shopping was ARVP’s Colleen Benoit. She chose 10 park volunteers to help her spend over $3,000 in donations from the park’s church, ARVP RC Racers and individual residents.

In less than an hour, each shopper had purchased up to 45 toys for their assigned age group and gender.

“Christmas gift giving, and Santa is all about kids,” Colleen said. “I enjoy giving back to my winter community and doing something to help low-income parents get through the holiday season. I’m sure this is true for all of the volunteers here.”

After the shopping was completed, Colleen organized a group of over 30 park volunteers to sort hundreds of toys into designated boxes for delivery to the Lodge. The park’s church and a Helping Hands group collected toys, too, so those were added to the containers.

Everyone seemed happy with the event.

“So many people told me how wonderful the event was… just like an Old-Time Christmas Party!” Colleen said. “They said it was well organized and went so very smoothly.

“It was more than giving money for the volunteers, it was taking part [in the action] and seeing the joy, as well as sharing in the excitement of a children’s Christmas Party.”

Others liked the feeling of having a single purpose.

“That’s what it’s all about …,” Eli said, “being there for each other and the coming together.”

Some of the children’s enthusiasm couldn’t be contained.

Santa’s wife (Maggie Biedekapp) watched a five-year-old come through the door with his father. Then the child spotted Santa.

“The little boy came running,” she said. “We heard the little guy cry, ‘Santa! Santa! Santa! Santa!’

“Then he barreled into Tripp!” she said. “The little fellow was hugging Santa and hugging him and hugging him. All the time his head was buried in that white beard.”

Like the hundreds who would sit on Santa’s lap, the little boy heard the “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Before long Santa was challenging the five-year-old to match that famous Christmas greeting.

The boy gave it his best try – just as other children before him have done. Some a bit softly and tentatively. Some robustly. Almost all of Santa’s lap sitters, joining in the “ho, ho” merriment.

Tripp said he can’t help but feel their joy.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said the Jolly Old Gent.