GIFT GIVING MAGIC. Santa’s Gift Shop happens every year in the month of December. It is a day where Kindergarten through 6th grade students get to pick out gifts for their parents, siblings, and grandparents. Throughout the year, during Colt’s Round-up and Camp Exploration students decorate brown paper bags with fun festive designs that are then used to put gifts in. Each gift only cost $1.
Santa’s Gift Shop has been going on for over 30 years. Throughout the year, donations from the community are collected. These donations include new items that are often purchased on sale or things that have never been opened. About a week or two before Santa's Gift Shop, Mrs. Swearingen, Mrs. Tryon, and their daughters go shopping again in order to find more discounted items to make sure the tables are stocked for the big day. However, that's not all these ladies do. Since Santa's Gift Shop has been hosted at the Waterville Grade School the past few years, they set up the tables and gifts the night before which usually takes about two hours to accomplish.
When asking Tony Yungeberg, Community Education Director and the person in charge of Santa’s Gift Shop, what his favorite part is he said, “My favorite thing is watching the kids shop with the high schoolers and seeing the interactions they have together. The younger students always light up when they see them and love to share the reasons why they are choosing the gifts they do.” This year Santa's Gift Shop is on December 16, elementary students and high schoolers alike are both excited for this annual event.
Article by Tayra L’Ecuyer