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Santa Claus Visits on a Firetruck as Christmas Draws Near

Dec. 10, 2008 — Sirens wailing, a bright red firetruck screamed into Lionel Roberts Stadium Wednesday morning, then slowly circled around as hundreds of children stood wide-eyed, gazing in wonder at the fellow on the back of the truck.
My goodness, it was Santa Claus!
The kids knew this for sure when he bounded off his trusty fire truck (the Virgin Islands' answer to his sleigh) and shouted "Merry Christmaaaaas."
"Now, what did I say?" he asked the children, holding a hand to his ear. "Louder, let's hear it."
"Merry Christmas, ho, ho, ho," the kids repeated, smiling even wider. One little boy nudged the kid next to him. "It's really him!"
A seasoned Santa (out of mufti, Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch), was on his second tour of duty, as was first lady Cecile deJongh, who again played what she calls "first elf." Finch came equipped for the job, supplying his own mustache, beard and unfailing grin.
DeJongh's duties far exceed that of an ordinary elf. She said she started working on the party this summer, "and I have about 100 other elves to help."
DeJongh and her helpers orchestrated this year's festivities on all three islands. The St. Thomas venue changed this year from Emancipation Garden to the stadium where more children can easily be accommodated — 2,000 students came Wednesday, with another 2,000 coming Thursday. A fleet of school buses was busy all morning transporting the eager youngsters.
St. John youngsters celebrated Tuesday. St. Croix students saw Santa in Christiansted Wednesday and Frederiksted Tuesday.
Dejongh, a mother of three, is passionate about reading and literacy, as well as preserving the environment. She brought those concerns to the forefront with this year's theme, "Read, Recycle and Reuse." The theme resonated throughout the stadium, with a calypso beat echoing and thousands of recyclable green bags filled with books and a nutritious lunch — no candy or cookies.
"Last year we had so much trash to pick up, with the Christmas wrappings, so these bags are big enough to take everything with them when they leave," the first lady said.
One thing the children will take home is their own hardcover copies of A caribbean Journey from A to Y (read and Discover what happened to the Z) by local author Mario Picayo, along with two workbooks filled with pictures and puzzles.
In each bag is a note from deJongh to parents: "We are honored to give this book as a gift. The governor and I hope you will read this book along with your child…. and we hope you can find a good use for this bag in helping to promote eco-friendly habits to protect our home in paradise."
Picayo's book, which has an international audience, focuses a bit on St. Thomas. For instance, bananaquit and bougainvillea are two examples from the letter "B," and St. Thomas' own unmistakable Fort Christian serves as background for the letter "F." Picayo was here earlier this year for a book signing.
In a preface to the book, deJongh says the book is "a reminder of our ancestry and celebrates the similarities and differences of each of the islands and their people." She continues, "Perhaps what we learn the most, is that we are all God's children, each of us brothers and sisters in paradise."
The stadium burst with life and laughter as the children entered through an arch constructed with green, white, orange and yellow balloons to meet A.A. Milne characters Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, as well as a happy Chucky from the "Rugrats" TV show.
Teachers had their hands full keeping their small charges in line for Santa. Holding hands, the boisterous youngsters became solemn nearing the big moment. The children stepped up one by one, their expressions somewhere between scared and delighted as they revealed their secret wishes.
"A toy car, a big bus, a pretty doll, a bed," said 4-year-old LeVanni Harrigan.
A bed?
"I want a bed, a pink bed."
The area was patrolled by the Amalian Guard — JROTC students from Charlotte Amalie High School. The attentive JROTC students, under the command of Major David Ridgway, guided the youngsters and helped sort out the bus traffic.
The volunteers were mostly current or retired government employees. Yvonne Moolenaar was clearly delighted to be helping.
"I'm retired," she said, "but I worked under the governor when he was finance commissioner. I like him very much, and that's why I'm here."
The first lady's charisma inspired three members of the private sector — Stephanie Amaro, Bernice Bertrand and Katy Dinorolous — to take a day from their jobs at Magens Bay Boutique to volunteer.
"We love her and we wanted to give something back," Amaro said.
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