Breaking bread with jolly old St. Nick
This past Saturday, the Pahrump Valley Museum played host to the Pahrump Valley Lions Club’s first Breakfast with Santa in five years and though the turnout was fairly small, the joy brought to all those who did attend was more than enough to leave the Lions beaming with happiness.
A once beloved, longstanding community event that the Lions are determined to bring back to its former glory, Breakfast with Santa kicked off around 9 a.m., with Lions members sparking up the griddles for the morning’s meal. French toast, pancakes, sausage and bacon were all cooked up hot and fresh, while cups of juice and milk were set out and coffee made ready for the parents. There were tables laid with holiday tablecloths and décor, along with a special table prepared with plenty of Christmas coloring sheets, markers, colored pencils, play-dough and more.
Of course, paper to write to Kris Kringle was available, too, so the children who turned out could record their holiday wishes. Those missives are not to simply disappear, either. As part of the Lions Club’s Letters to Santa program, each and every one of the letters the club receives will be fulfilled with presents delivered directly to the writer’s home. Youngsters were also able to share a few moments with Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves, who were enthroned on a platform adorned with Christmas decorations.
“Overall, we were hoping to get more children ready to tell Santa what their wishes were but, the Lions were ready for anything, as were Santa and Mrs. Claus,” Pahrump Lion Marcia Newyear told the Pahrump Valley Times afterward. “We had nine children visit and write wish letters to Santa and even more adults who just had to have their pictures with Santa, too!
“Thank you to Santa and Mrs. Claus, represented by Tom and Malinda Mayan, as well as our special servers Ralph and Helena from the Pahrump Moose Lodge,” a grateful Newyear was quick to continue. “Thanks to the Pahrump Valley Museum and curator Marilyn Davis, who is also a fellow Lion, for hosting our Breakfast with Santa, to the Pahrump Valley Times for the wonderful article written by Robin and to Racheal Walker for making our ads the best.”
The Lions fully intend to continue Breakfast with Santa again next year, Newyear noted, in conjunction with its Letters to Santa program. For the 2025 program, area youth ages 12 and under have until Dec. 17 to submit their own Letter to Santa, with a public mailbox drop-off at the Pahrump Post Office on Postal Road.
“If people would like to help the Lions with our Letters to Santa program, please join us. We still need elves to help with delivering all those gifts to the homes,” Newyear noted. “We meet at Las Patronaz [270 Dahlia Street] next Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m. to collect your elf ears.”
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
