Santa breakfasts with children in Rouzerville

December 09, 2007|By ASHLEY HARTMAN

ROUZERVILLE, PA. - Pancakes, sausage and Santa Claus were on the menu Saturday morning for families who attended the third annual Santa's Breakfast at the Rouzerville Ruritan Club.

"It started off slow because of (the threat) of freezing rain," said Ann Backer, a representative of the Rouzerville Business Association (RBA), which sponsored the breakfast. "Once we got started, it was wonderful."

For a fee of $5 for adults and $3 for children, families could enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Wal-Mart of Waynesboro, Pa., donated the food for the breakfast and pictures with Santa Claus were complimentary and paid for by the Rouzerville Ruritan Club.

Members of the Rouzerville Lions Club helped cook the breakfast.

"My dad bought our tickets," said Glenda Daron of Waynesboro, Pa. "We decided to come out so he could spend some time with his grandkids."

She brought her son Logan, 12 months, and daughter Kadence, 3, to the breakfast to see Santa Claus and their grandfather, Gene Daron.

"We'll come back next year," Daron said, adding that Logan was a little scared of Santa.

Vanessa Toro of Waynesboro, Pa., brought her three children - Julianna, 8, Sierra, 7, and Gwen, 4, to the breakfast.

"We went last year," Toro said. "The food is good and the pictures are free."

Children who attended the breakfast also were given free passes to Cosmic Skate in Rouzerville, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

Backer said she expected at least 200 people to attend the breakfast.

After the breakfast, beginning at 1 p.m., train rides were given to children at Red Run Park in Rouzerville, Pa., and the day of events ended at 6 p.m. with Rouzerville's tree lighting.

The RBA spent the summer months looking for a Christmas tree for Rouzerville until they found out there was an evergreen at Red Run Park planted specifically for the purpose, Backer said.

The lights on the tree, which was planted on the peninsula that juts into the pond at Red Run Park, will reflect off the pond when lit, Backer said. The RBA put aside $1,000 from a golf tournament in June and Rouzerfest in August to pay for the tree lighting. Since the tree was already planted at the park, the RBA only had to pay to light the tree, Backer said.

"All the money we raise from all our fundraisers (including Santa's Breakfast), we are using for improvements and additions to Red Run Park," Backer said. The RBA has raised $3,000 so far for Red Run Park.

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