By Barb Zanetti-Taetsch, Photos by Dennis Zanetti
At McAllen’s Elks Lodge 1402 a young girl stands before Santa with her hands on her hips and says, “Santa, do you have a naughty list?”
Santa, Wally Ostrowski, a Winter Texan from Alamo Rec Vehicle Park (ARVP), takes a second to answer her.
“Yes, I do,” he says. “But today, no one here is on it.”
“You HAVE to put my brother on that list,” she says, insisting that he take action and shaking her head, totally ignoring Santa’s absolution. “He steals my French fries … even when I’m watching!”
She then turns and leaves the Jolly Old Man and his wife Jo looking at each other and chuckling.
It’s then that a four-year-old boy spots Santa, breaks the line and runs to give the red-suited man an enormous hug, saying, “I love you, Santa!”
“The hugs are what I enjoy the most,” the Jolly Old Man says. “They’re outstanding!”
Before long a talkative young girl leaves Santa’s lap and then stands before him explaining how much she loves horses. After several minutes, she finally admits that she really wants a reindeer for Christmas.
“I have all I can use,” Santa says. “But I’ll check to see if I have any spares.”
Mrs. Clause gently suggests that the girl might better “stick with horses.”
With a “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Santa sends the children to his elves, most coming from Alamo Palms Resort, who present them with colorful bags, each loaded with a large, age-appropriate toy, a blanket, a bag of candy, a plastic coloring box* filled with 24 crayons, a hat**, a coloring book, and socks, plus a stuffed animal for the youngest children.
Elf Carol Norman, from ARVP, says she saw a 10-year-old girl pull the toy from her bag, smile and say, “This is exactly what I wanted!”
Once they have their gift, they’re off to enjoy the activities and lunch planned for the 5th Annual Tripp’s Christmas Village, the Elks’ celebration for 200 children with special needs on Saturday, December 13.
The event’s Winter Texan founder has had a marked effect on the McAllen’s Elks Lodge 1402 leadership.
“I promised Tripp Wright, the first Santa, the one who fought for this event, that I would make it better each year as long as I was the ER,” Elks local leader Tino Ordaz, says. “And that is exactly what I’m doing with the help of dozens of my hardworking volunteers, like Santa.”
Tino says that he has proof that this party is delighting children when he sees their wide grins.
He says he can’t believe how emotional he gets as he watches a young girl and her grandmother walk hand in hand under the entrance’s oversized red, white and green balloon arches into the elaborately decorated room and hears the six-year-old look up to her grandma and say, “This is what I always dreamed of!”
“That touched me,” he says, having found it difficult not to tear up. “It really touched me.”
The Elks leader’s unwavering focus to help children may explain why he says this party is “a salve for my soul. And at the end, it has a reward [for me] that’s incredible.”
Explaining that his term as ER is dedicated to helping children with special needs, … he says he works to find ways to give them a reason to smile. This Saturday, there is little reason for them not to.
On this sunny, warm day, dozens of children stand in line to ride the wheeled, five-car train that circles the Elks’ large parking lot. Their other outdoor entertainment choices include a children-sized scrambler, a mini-Ferris wheel, and a long inflatable bounce house – complete with a slide. However, the children’s entertainment options don’t end there.
As children walk into the Lodge’s almost magical-looking rooms, they’re offered activity choices such as: Decorating cookies at one long table. Beading jewelry at another. Coloring a wooden ornament. Tossing a bean bag into the holes cut out of a wooden Grinch or throwing a bean-bag-ball to stick to Velcro snowmen, and more.
Throughout the three-hour event the children and their chaperones can choose from a menu that includes hot chocolate with mini marshmallows; hot dogs with or without chili and cheese; an assortment of chips; juice boxes or bottles of water; plus, pink cotton candy made to order from a sugar-spinning machine onsite.
To pay for the party and gifts, the Elks raised over $8,000*** by hosting a special Mexican Picture Bingo every Tuesday from 6 to 9 with bingo picture cards priced at 25¢ each. A total of 19 games are called in Spanish with interpreters available. This unusual version of bingo is open to the public.
Next year’s goal, according to Tino, is to invite an additional 50 to 100 children to the party. That means that the Elks will have even more fundraising to do. And Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves will have more stories to share.
As it is, the red-suited man says he already has great memories.
“A few years ago, Tino’s grandson brings me a cookie he’s decorated at the party,” Santa Wally says. “So, after it’s over, I take a big bite out of the cookie and write ‘Thanks!’ on the plate. Then I go to Tino and say, ‘You need to take this home and keep it ’til Christmas Eve. Then he put it out so he sees it Christmas morning.’ I hear that it went great!”
Santa says despite liking all children, he admits that he does have favorites.
“The one-month-old baby its mom gave me to hold for a photo was so precious,” Santa Wally says, “I didn’t want to give it back!”
As long as the Elks will have me, the Jolly Old Man says he’ll be there with his resounding “Ho! Ho! Ho!” bringing the grins and hugs this Winter Texan is aiming for.
__________
*Plastic coloring boxes are made by volunteers from ARVP, the plastic pieces secured and decorated with yarn.
**The colorful hats are fashioned and sewn by Mary Lou Kennedy and were crocheted by Julie Perry, who worked to fill a large box of them before she passed this spring. Both are from ARVP.
***The $8,000 raised from the Mexican Bingo game covered all of the expenses for the children’s party. This fundraiser is open to the public every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. Each picture card costs 25¢. A total of 19 games are played each Tuesday night. Food and drinks are available. (The game is simple. For example, when the caller says, “Luna,” the player covers the “moon” image on the card. There is an interpreter.)
