This past Sunday, December 11th, Padua’s Blue Gold Committee and Ronald’s Rescue Activity hosted a fun filled Christmas workshop including a Breakfast with Santa along with holiday games and activities. Ronald’s Rescue hosted the Pancake Breakfast portion of the event from 9: 30A.M. to 12:00P.M. Ronald’s Rescue is an activity started by Padua students that benefits the Ronald McDonald House charity. For just five dollars a person, students and families enjoyed a filling breakfast with Santa for a good cause. The Blue-Gold Committee hosted the all-day Christmas Workshop portion of the event from 9: 30A.M. to 3:00P.M.  Students and their families participated in games like snowball toss, build a snowman contest, pin the nose on Rudolph, and toss a ring on the reindeer. The festivities even featured story time with our very own Mrs. Clause (Mrs. Mann).

This event took a lot of preparation on the part of both activities.  When asked last week about their expectations for this event, Mrs. Kowalski (adviser of Blue-Gold activity) said, “We have never held this event before, so we really have no idea what to expect.”  Bernadette Land (‘11), a Blue Gold ambassador, said, “our goal is to get about 100 kids to come out on Sunday”. There was a lot of anticipation as to how the event would turn out but it was clear that as soon as the festivities began around 9:30A.M., it was a smash success. Around 250 people came out to participate in the Christmas festivities. Among the kids, the gingerbread decorating contest and the story time with Mrs. Clause were a big hit. At the Pancake Breakfast, enough money was raised to support 75 free nights at the Ronald McDonald house for families in need.  Sam Scarpone (’11), a founder of the Ronald’s Rescue Activity at Padua, said, “People really enjoyed the pancake breakfast. Next year we might even have to set up more tables!”  Overall the event was a huge success, and both activities hope to turn the Breakfast with Santa and Christmas Workshop into an annual event.