While his sleigh is being prepped for the big night, Oak Harbor Kiwanis Club members happily stepped in to give Santa a ride around the city Thursday. He was on a mission to spread some Vitamin C, which in this case, the C stands for Christmas.
After hearing from his elves how good the little boys and girls had been, he had to make an early visit to deliver oranges — cold, straight from the North Pole.
Kindergartners and first graders at Oak Harbor Elementary were pretty thrilled, to say the least.
“I love you!” Could be heard from plenty of voices in each class room his boots set foot in.
“I felt excited,” first-grader Za’Riiah O’Clair said after he left. She also admitted that one Christmas Eve she got too excited and peeked and saw caught Santa in the act of putting presents under the tree.
The visit gave students the opportunity ask important questions, like if Kris Kringle is between 32 and 1,000 years old.
“Are you the actual good ol’ Saint Nick?” One student asked as the man in red entered the room. He answered with a hearty laugh, of course he is.
Some students were concerned their letters wouldn’t reach him, but their teachers assured them that Santa would receive them in time. His arms were too full of oranges to take the letters home Thursday.
First-grader Lilly Mitchell asked for an American Girl doll. Evan Walker, also in first grade, asked for a hover board. Several others in the class agreed that was a good thing to ask for.
No matter what they asked for, the children all agreed Santa is pretty great — even if some of them weren’t too thrilled about getting oranges.
“He spreads joy to all the kids,” said Ruthie Danback, first grade.
“He tells us if we’re naughty or nice,” said her classmate Tre Herring.
There are a few things about the upcoming holiday that students agreed are the best — cookies and presents. Although first-grader Hunter Crowley said his favorite Christmas food is a whole gingerbread house.
But the best part of the holiday season, according to Amanda Martin, is “you get to be holly jolly.”
Photo by Laura Guido/Whidbey News-Times
Santa gives Owen Dujmovic, a first grader in Mrs. Martin’s class, an orange Tuesday at Oak Harbor Elementary School. Saint Nick continued the decades-long tradition of traveling to schools in Oak Harbor to deliver the orange fruit. Photo by Laura Guido/Whidbey News-Times
Santa gives Owen Dujmovic, a first grader in Mrs. Martin’s class, an orange Tuesday at Oak Harbor Elementary School. Saint Nick continued the decades-long tradition of traveling to schools in Oak Harbor to deliver the orange fruit. Photo by Laura Guido/Whidbey News-Times
