Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Over 250 enjoyed lunch with Santa on Dec. 5 at Teague Park Elementary School, raising over $1,000 for local charities. The event was sponsored by the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary, with about 10 members cooking hot dogs, selling raffle tickets, and snapping over 100 photos of youths with the jolly ol’elf.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Kiona Philbrook, 8, told Santa that she wants new Nintendo DS games for Christmas this year. Kiona was one of over 250 that stopped by Teague Park Elementary School on Dec. 5 to have lunch with St. Nick and Mrs. Claus.
“We raised over $1,100 that will be donated to area charities,” said event coordinator Tonja Flick. One donation, specifically, will be to the Maine Woodturners Eagle Cane project. The project will create canes with a carved eagle head for a handle; the canes will be distributed to local veterans.
According to Flick, turnout for this year’s Lunch with Santa has ranked as one of the highest.
“I don’t know if that’s due to the nice weather, the location, or a combination of the both,” she said. This was the first year of returning to the elementary school after having held the event at an alternative location for the past few years. Due to the success of the event, auxiliary members expressed their intent to hold the lunch at the same location next year.
Santa enjoyed his visit very much, and said that all the boys and girls were very well behaved.
Some youths were a bit shy, but Santa was quick to explain that shyness won’t put anybody on the naughty list.
The most requested gifts this year were the Nintendo Wii, American Girl dolls, but many youths also asked Santa for Barbie dolls and iPods.
Darlene Henderson, of Caribou, was the lucky raffle recipient of a sled full of toys.
Sponsors of the event included Shop ‘N Save, County Quik Print, Save-A-Lot, McDonalds, Quellette’s Variety, Sleepers, Tim Hortons, Rite Aid, Walmart and Country Kitchen.
Contributed photo
Darlene Henderson, the winner of the sled full of toys raffle, was presented her prize by event coordinator Tonja Flick of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary.
