Santa Claus is coming to town and valley youth are invited to spend the morning with him this Saturday as the Pahrump Valley Lions Club hosts its annual Breakfast with Santa.
The holiday season is in full swing and the minds of many will now be turning to Christmas, including those within the Lions Club. Breakfast with Santa is the group’s yearly kickoff for one of its biggest charitable efforts, the Letters to Santa program.
Through this program, the Lions provide free holiday gifts to children ages 12 and under, regardless of their family’s financial situation. The mission, Lions members detailed, is to give back to the community in a way that will spread Christmas joy far and wide, bringing smiles to light up faces on one of the most gleeful days on the calendar.
Pahrump Lions member Sue Bai is a lead organizer for Breakfast with Santa and she said the event is always a fun time for all, giving children the chance to meet Santa and hand-deliver their letters while offering their parents the opportunity to snap priceless keepsake photos capturing the moment.
The meal itself is a special time as well, Bai said, drawing to the table a diverse group of people from the very young to the very old, all of whom can sit together and enjoy each other’s company and the bright holiday atmosphere.
All of the kiddos under 12 years old get to eat for free and a $5 donation is asked for all others in exchange for the freshly griddled pancakes and sausage the Lions Club will serve up. The proceeds from the Lions Club Breakfast with Santa will go directly toward the purchase of the many presents the club will be delivering this year.
For those who may not be able to make it to the Breakfast with Santa event this weekend, never fear.
Any child can write their own missive and drop their letter to Santa off at the main post office in Pahrump, where an enormous and very easy-to-spot mailbox has been set up specifically for these communications.
The Lions Club will collect all of the letters just before Christmas and will be working hard alongside Santa to help fulfill all of the children’s Christmas wishes.
If planning to have their kids participate, one thing parents need to remember about the Letters to Santa program is the necessary information to include. Bai detailed that one of the biggest hurdles for the Lions Club each year is receiving letters that do not contain complete information.
The gifts provided by the Lions Club are always delivered in person by members, so all letters to Santa must include contact information and a physical address.
Letters should also specify the child’s name, age, gender and of course, what they are hoping to get for Christmas. Only with all of these pieces of the puzzle in place can the Lions do what they do and get the presents in the hands of local children.
Breakfast with Santa is set for 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Pahrump Valley Auto Plaza. For more information call 775-727-9016.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com