Santa Claus greets area kids at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre
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WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Christmas joy and excited smiles were in abundance Saturday, Dec. 7, when around 250 local children visited Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre during the annual Morning with Santa.
Sponsored by the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Auxiliary, Morning with Santa featured arts and crafts, face-painting, snacks and Christmas music by Frankie Gervasi. Each attending child met Santa Claus and received a gift donated by the N.E. Federation of Clubs, an organization comprised of regional motorcycle clubs.
Geisinger employees and auxiliary members were joined by volunteers from Misericordia University, Kistler Elementary School and Pittston Area High School. Volunteers dressed in the spirit of the holiday season, and some were in costume as Disney characters and Christmas legends like The Nutcracker, Mrs. Claus and Santa’s elves.
Gift-bags were distributed to each child, and families were invited to pick from a selection of winter coats, hats and gloves before heading home. Coats were donated by senior members of the Pittston Area National Honor Society, which held a coat drive to gather warm clothing for families in need.
Geisinger auxiliary member and Morning with Santa chair Laine Martin said the event is growing year to year.
“This event is one of the yearly highlights for the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Auxiliary,” Martin said. “To have the opportunity to spend time with the local community and for them to allow us to bring them early holiday-season cheer is a blessing, and we’re grateful for the time and effort given by our volunteers.”
Sponsored by the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Auxiliary, Morning with Santa featured arts and crafts, face-painting, snacks and Christmas music by Frankie Gervasi. Each attending child met Santa Claus and received a gift donated by the N.E. Federation of Clubs, an organization comprised of regional motorcycle clubs.
Geisinger employees and auxiliary members were joined by volunteers from Misericordia University, Kistler Elementary School and Pittston Area High School. Volunteers dressed in the spirit of the holiday season, and some were in costume as Disney characters and Christmas legends like The Nutcracker, Mrs. Claus and Santa’s elves.
Gift-bags were distributed to each child, and families were invited to pick from a selection of winter coats, hats and gloves before heading home. Coats were donated by senior members of the Pittston Area National Honor Society, which held a coat drive to gather warm clothing for families in need.
Geisinger auxiliary member and Morning with Santa chair Laine Martin said the event is growing year to year.
“This event is one of the yearly highlights for the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Auxiliary,” Martin said. “To have the opportunity to spend time with the local community and for them to allow us to bring them early holiday-season cheer is a blessing, and we’re grateful for the time and effort given by our volunteers.”
About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
