WHITESBORO – Santa stepped right from his sleigh in the gray sky onto the Court House Fire Department’s aerial ladder and was lowered to the ground where 80 youngsters, most with smiles, others with puzzlement on their faces, awaited on Dec. 8.
They gathered outside the Martin Luther King Community Center on West Main Street where they spent much of the day enjoying the annual party hosted by Hamer’s School of Karate. Inside they had an array of good things to eat, games to play, as well as getting ready for Christmas and also getting a bag of toys and more.
Burgess “Butch” Hamer, a retired Middle Township police patrolman, has been the guiding light behind the annual celebration for children from throughout the county for many years. Those children might not otherwise have a fun and toy-filled holiday. While the karate school sponsors the event, many local people and businesses donate and volunteer their time to join the happy occasion.
Through the years the location has changed, but one constant remains, Santa’s arrival is something special.
The excitement of the young crowd builds to a crescendo as they learn that Santa is outside waiting for them to go out and greet him. In some years past, at Goshen Sports Complex, Santa arrived via helicopter. In recent years, he has elected to make his final journey from the sky on the Court House Fire Department’s aerial ladder truck.
Many youngsters waved and hugged the North Pole’s number one resident. Others snapped pictures of him to show their families. Some were simply too awed by Santa’s presence, and could hardly believe there he was, all dressed in his red and white suit, asking what they wanted for Christmas, and giving them a bag of toys to take home.
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