Kris Kringle set to mingle with kids in Kingston

Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 6, 2006

KINGSTON — Wolfle Elementary is set to receive a special visit by two red-coated celebrities who hail from the North Pole.

Both Santa and Mrs. Claus will sled into Wolfle’s lunchroom Saturday for the school’s annual Santa breakfast. And along with the arrival of the joyous duo, the Wolfle PTA, students and staff have collected a bevy of presents that will be auctioned and raffled off at the event.

“It has evolved. It used to be just a Santa’s breakfast,” said co-organizer and PTA member Wendy Newton, noting the inclusion of a silent auction and various raffles. “There’s a lot of work and a lot of people involved. Many volunteers make it successful.”

The Wolfle PTA solicited gifts from local businesses throughout the year and organized them for the silent auction. While at school, students also collected items under a theme to create a holiday basket from each grade level. All of the baskets will be raffled off at the event.

At the event Wolfle’s fifth and sixth graders will be donning their helper elves personas as they serve as waiters at the breakfast.

“We have a variety of fathers and the principal himself, Ben Degnin, will be cooking,” said event co-organizer and PTA member Misty McClain. “We’ve got pancakes and eggs and ham … it’s a great way to raise for money for the school.”

Tickets will be $3.50 per person or $12 for four. With each ticket purchase breakfast-goers will be entered into a raffle which will continuously pick winners throughout the three hour event.

But perhaps the biggest prize of all, especially for the smallest of those in attendance, will be the opportunity to ask Father Christmas for the perfect gift. Parents will be able to get pictures to commemorate the moment thanks to T & C Photo, which has offered its services to the event.

With so much experience touted at the event it shouldn’t be a surprise that Santa’s no newbie to the red and white, either.

“I’ve been Santa for about 35 years, I’ve done it all over the place,” said Wolfle’s Santa Claus Bob Middlebrook. “I’ve worked in several malls, but I’d much prefer doing the Wolfle breakfast.”

Middlebrook noted that while the event’s agenda may not hold anything different from his past performances, the kids always make the job worth his while.

That sentiment was echoed by Wolfle’s students, Newton said.

“The kids just love him,” she said. “And they also get to see their parents work and be involved in something for the community and to better our school to reach what it needs to, to help our kids learn.”

A driving force behind the Wolfle PTA’s budget this year was to provide both fifth and sixth graders the opportunity to go to Camp Coleman — an outdoor education arena. Because at the end of the year both the fifth and sixth graders will be leaving Wolfle as the district transitions into a K-5, 6-8, 9-12 grade format. The PTA didn’t want the fifth graders left out.

To that end, there will also be a bake sale at the event to raise funds for Camp Coleman.

In the midst of the fund-raising hubbub, the true meaning of the breakfast will not be forgotten, Newton said.

“It’s becoming a community place for a great family breakfast,” she said. “The overall is what it is, (the breakfast) is a great time to get together have breakfast and get Santa pictures taken with the kids, and then head on down to Kingston Country Christmas.”