K-Kids members with Santa at Macy’s in the Holyoke Mall. (Photo submitted)
On Sunday, December 2, members of the K-Kids Club at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, had an exciting afternoon with a very special Santa. K-Kids is run with the help of Kiwanis Club of Westfield and is a community service based club for kids ages 6 to 12 that helps develop leadership skills, and encourage community involvement. Every year, the Macy’s Day Parade Santa does a 26-day tour sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Believe Campaign. This year, Santa ended up at Macy’s in the Holyoke Mall. For every letter Santa received, Macy’s donated $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The K-Kids were able to write thirty letters to add to the cause. After the kids finished their letters, Santa read them Twas the Night before Christmas, while they ate cookies and colored in new coloring books from Mr. Clause. According to the Club’s education coordinator, Blair Tomaino, “This was a great opportunity for younger kids to participate in giving back to an organization during the holidays. They were able to make a difference and had fun doing it”.
