Celebrate 20th anniversary of Breakfast with Santa Dec. 8
December of 1992 saw the dawning of the very first Breakfast with Santa, sponsored by the local Whitewater Optimist Club jointly with the UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club.
The clubs will again host this community event on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 8-11 a.m. at Esker Dining Hall on the UW-Whitewater campus.
Twenty years ago, the event cost $3 for adults and $2 for children. Many local businesses were asked to contribute to the event as the UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club was just newly chartered.
“Over the years, the Optimist clubs agreed the focus of this event was to provide a community service, not to be a fundraiser. In that light, the cost for the event has been maintained at $4 for adults and $1 for children younger than 10 for the past several years,” according to an event press release.
Any funds raised at the event go to pay for the food and beverages served, free pictures with Santa for each family, and decorations to enhance the event itself. The gift bags for every child attending might also have a custom photo blanket, cards, and a few more of alike gifts.
“In the early days of this project, it was brought to the club’s attention that the cost for a family might be too much for all of the communities’ children to participate,” the release said. “When selling tickets at Wal-Mart, the late Lorraine Miller came up to one of our Optimist members and bought a ticket, but said to give it to some family that might not have enough money to attend. This started the ball rolling with Murray Accounting matching whatever contributions the club could raise for needy families.”
Since the members liked the idea, many contributed.
John Hoffmann heard the story and donated $100, indicating that he would give whatever was needed so that everyone who wanted to attend could. Hoffmann and his wife, Nancy, continued to support the event by bringing their entire 40-plus-member family each year when they had small grandkids. It became such a tradition for their family that one year, all the members of the Hoffmann family attended in matching sweatshirts made by Nancy.
“Since then, generous sponsors have made contributions through Marilyn Kienbaum at the Whitewater Food Pantry, to make sure every child wanting to attend gets the chance to do so,” Optimist organizers said.
“The planning of this event has become rather bittersweet with Kienbaum’s recent passing. She had been such a staunch supporter of this project from the very beginning. Our hearts go out to Kienbaum’s family, as the entire community lost a very dear friend last week.”
From 1992-2007, the downtown armory was transformed into a winter wonderland by dozens of Optimists from the Whitewater Optimist Club, the UW-W/Community Optimist Club, the UW-W Student Optimist Club and the H.S. Octagon Club.
Numerous Optimists donated and decorated artificial trees, made table decorations and procured live trees that were donated to the food pantry for a family or two who didn’t have any trees.
Over the years, the menu has remained constant.
“With about 200 people attending the very first event, word soon spread throughout the community and neighboring towns of the joy and fun this event offers, and each year attendance has grown,” said organizers.
In 2007, the Optimist Club realized that it had outgrown the capacity at the armory, and in collaboration with Chartwell’s Dining Services at the UW-W campus, made the move to host the event at Esker Dining Hall.
Last year the clubs served more than 600 people and plan to do that many or more for the 20th consecutive year.
The lowdown
This year’s breakfast menu includes French toast with syrup, sausage, doughnut holes, and a selection of juices, milk, and coffee.
The cost is $4 for adults and $1 for children. Tickets for those families registered at the Whitewater Food Pantry will be available from Susan Hiscox.
Santa, Mrs. Claus, their elves and Frosty the Snowman will be in attendance.
All children will have the chance to get a free picture taken with Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas. Each child will also receive a goodie bag from Santa’s elves. Parents are encouraged to bring their own cameras to record the fun.
The popular coloring/story book corner will also be available for the children. Various local groups will provide music.
Esker Hall is located at the corner of North Prairie and East Lauderdale Drive, near the Wells Hall complex on the UW-Whitewater campus. There is parking available on the North side of the building near the North entrance door.
For more information, call Jim Miller at (262) 473-4904 or (262) 949-3397.
