Families dine with Santa in Pahrump

A longtime holiday tradition returned to town this month, courtesy of the Pahrump Lions Club.

Pahrump Valley Auto Plaza once again hosted the annual “Breakfast with Santa” celebration last Saturday.

The event coincides with the organization’s “Letters to Santa” campaign.

Lions Club member Sue Bai took time away from her duties behind the griddle to talk about the popular community event.

“Things have went very well today and we have seen a lot of children with their parents in tow,” she said. “All of the children were able to sit down and spend some time with Santa Claus. They talked to Santa and received candy canes along with our pancake breakfast.”

Local resident A.J. Dodd portrayed Jolly Old St. Nick by way of proxy, as the actual Kris Kringle, obviously is still making travel arrangements for later this month.

This year was not Dodd’s first rodeo as Santa’s stand-in.

“I have been portraying Santa Claus for the Lions Club for the last six years,” he said. “It is one of the most exciting programs that I have been able to do here in town. It is always a joy being with the kids and their parents as they take pictures.”

Dodd also said the wishes of area youngsters have not appeared to have changed much over the decades.

“After speaking to the kids over the years, I have learned that many of them just want basic gifts for Christmas,” he said. “A lot of the girls ask for Barbie dolls and with the boys, it’s usually toy vehicles like trucks and cars. It hasn’t really changed much over the years. So far I’ve spoken to more than 20 kids and their parents today.”

Bai, meanwhile noted that area kids should now think about putting pen to paper to outline what kind of Christmas gift they have in mind, as the Lion Clubs Letters to Santa program is also underway.

“I believe we are in our 16th year doing the Letters to Santa program,” she said. “Our Breakfast with Santa, is actually the kickoff to the Letters to Santa program. This is just a community event and it’s our way of giving back to the community and taking care of the children by giving them a nice breakfast and a chance to meet and talk with Santa Claus.”

Monies raised from the breakfast actually go to support the Letters to Santa event, Bai said.

“Shopping is already underway as far as the gift buying, and when we see a bargain, we certainly grab it,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the Letters with Santa program, there would be too many kids here in the valley who would receive little or nothing for Christmas each year.”

Making sure Santa receives each letter is as simple as visiting the main post office, located at 2300 Postal Drive, where a colossal mailbox sits right at the entrance of the facility.

Bai did, however, say that parents should be aware of the deadline.

“We get those letters and we try to provide a return letter from Santa and a small gift as well,” she said. “For some of those children, that may be the only gift they receive. We do have a deadline of Dec. 15, because we still need some time to get everything together and begin wrapping and delivering the gifts that we purchase. We have what we call several wrapping parties to get everything organized for the program and we have our Lions Club members acting as volunteers for the program.”

Additionally, Bai noted, the generosity among members of the community keeps the program going each year.

“That includes our fundraising efforts as well,” she said. “We just want all the children to write their letters and drop them off at the post office. They should be sure to give us their name and home address so Santa knows where to deliver the gifts. You also want to include whether you are a boy or a girl as well as your age on the letter.”

For more information on the program, or to make a much-needed donation, call the Pahrump Lions Club at 775 727-9016.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes