The La Porte County YMCA held its third annual Christmas celebration on Sunday, Dec. 12. The event is to inspire families, friends, and children to keep their health front of mind, all while creating fun holiday memories, sharing fellowship, and bringing the local community together.
Santa took a break from his workshop to spend some quality time with the children of La Porte County and participated in the cheerful atmosphere. He posed for photos and listened as children of all ages eagerly shared their Christmas wishlists.
Families also enjoyed holiday arts and crafts, participated in various games, listened to cheerful live music, and more.
The YMCA invited not only its members but also the public, to join in on the fun for free.
While the event may have only lasted a day, it took the hard work of many of Santa’s elves and the helpful staff at the YMCA to bring this event to the local community. These efforts were spearheaded by Program Director Kathy Workman.
“A lot of planning went into this event, as it was an all-staff, hands-on event,” Workman said. “It’s great to see all the excitement and energy in the building. It’s not about being or not being a member today. It’s just about being a community and getting our kids excited for the holidays and having some normalcy put back in their lives. Plus, it’s great to bring us all together as a big family in our community.”
Front Desk Coordinator Melanie Ledgerwood was responsible for reaching out to the North Pole to get Santa to make an appearance at today’s event and even helped to deck the halls with Christmas cheer.
“I have a passion for Christmas decorating and have decorated for years,” Ledgerwood said. “I have been so excited for today’s event. There’s so many things I enjoy about this YMCA – there’s a diverse mix of people from all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our members and volunteers really have been wonderful. All of the supplies, treats, and toys here today came from our members. It’s a lovely group.”
Today’s holiday celebration was the perfect way to kickstart the holidays and leave families excited for Santa’s upcoming arrival.
To learn more about the La Porte County Family YMCA and see more events like this, please visit https://www.lpymca.org/.