More than 40 child patients received Christmas gifts, got to meet Santa Claus and had a chance to enjoy “a winter wonderland” courtesy of the Jerusalem Shrine Patient Christmas Party in Destrehan Saturday. But for Shriners Potentate Paul Ruiz III, he and his fellow Shriners receive a cherished gift each year at this event: the sight of happy children who are able to put their great adversity aside to enjoy a wonderful Christmas gathering made just for them.
“When a 4-year-old walks in and sees the toys stacked under the trees, and they’re just so excited … it’s why we’re here,” Ruiz said. “This is why we do what we do. Everything we do throughout the year is for this day.”
The event sees children being treated for serious illnesses at Shriners’ hospitals brought together to celebrate Christmas. Santa Claus made his way into the doors of the Shrine Center in style, riding on a Harley Davidson three-wheeler for a grand entrance.
Each Shriner escorts a child into a room decorated with “snow” and trees to create a classic winter backdrop. Under the trees are copious presents for the children to pick out. The event has been held for more than 50 years, Ruiz said.
“One of ours has been escorting the same child for the past eight years,” Ruiz said. “We get to watch them grow up. We get to watch them get better.”
Ruiz called the event a centerpiece of the Shriners’ mission to serve these children in need, along with their families, throughout the course of each year. It’s a volunteer effort – “we do not charge for any service we give to a child,” Ruiz noted – that also includes transporting patients for hospital treatment in Shreveport, Houston and Galveston and, when necessary, paying for the family’s stay there.
Ruiz said his involvement with the event has provided him with perspective he feels he once lacked.
“I can only speak for myself, but my whole life, I’ve been greedy … always looking out for what’s in it for me,” he said. “But when you deal with these children and see how needy they are … it becomes everything, to you.”
That same day in Luling, St. Charles Parish provides its own joyful Christmas setting for those in need via its annual Toy and Gift Fund giveaway at the Edward Dufresne Community Center.
The Toy and Gift Fund was founded in the 1980s as a means to ensure as many children as possible can enjoy receiving gifts at Christmas time, particularly when for many families, purchasing gifts may not be realistic because of financial constraints. A major toy drive is held each December for the event, and names of children whose families might be in need are provided by the St. Charles Parish school system. A toy drive is held each December in preparation for the day.
More than 1,100 children received invitations to the event with the number of attendees exceeded that, said event spokeswoman Jeanne Arabie. With $12,000 worth of toys for the children to choose from, organizers were well prepared thanks to generous donations from several sources, including United Way of St. Charles. Valero St. Charles also made for a successful day by cooking for everyone who attended.
“The kids get to come in and pick their presents out themselves,” said Arabie. “It’s completely their choice. We’re fortunate to have our generous sponsors and volunteers … we have about 40 volunteers this year and also students in the school system with Interact, Beta Club … it makes it all go smoothly.”
The children who attended each got to watch a movie, take a picture with Santa Claus and play holiday-themed games. Batman and Robin were also on the scene to meet the crowd of young visitors. And, of course, each got to choose their gifts while accompanied by one of Santa’s elves, walking through the community center’s stands with toys stacked high.
“The minute they walk in, they’re so excited,” Arabie said. “They’re looking and looking and their eyes light up, especially when they see Santa. Then when they see the next step and they get to go pick their toys out … it makes us feel good to be able to provide that and see them so happy. And for a lot of parents, it provides some relief, I think.”
Local mother Ronda Bolton said her son, Aiden, was elated to take part in all the fun.
“You go from seeing the Grinch to seeing Santa Claus,” Bolton said. “He loved seeing Santa, just loved it. He sees a lot of kids he goes to school with and he got to see them outside of that school setting. Then you see so many toys, and he gets so excited.”
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