As the first cold weather of the coming winter settled upon the New York area on the weekend of December 10thand 11th, St. Anselm Catholic Academy was a Winter Wonderland with Academy parents and volunteers providing parishioners, “young and old”, with Christmas joy and warmth.
McMahon Auditorium, filled from floor to ceiling with a beautiful Christmas tree, was the center of holiday cheer. Adults perused the craft tables, enjoying the opportunity to purchase items from jewelry, to knit wear, to delicious and in some cases unusual selections of fruit preserves (who would have thought jalapenos would go so well with traditional fruit flavors). Visitors tried their luck purchasing 50/50 raffle tickets and, graduates had the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane perusing old St. Anselm yearbooks. There was popcorn, cotton candy and other treats at Candy Land! Youngsters played games, rode rides, wrote letters to Santa, had fun with arts and crafts and discovered the mysteries of science at the STEM booth. And, there were light sabers (the door gift from Santa), which glowed and whizzed to the delight of the many children!
In the cafeteria, St. Anselm’s own Boy Scout Troop 13 ran the canteen offering hot dogs, fries, chips, cookies, sodas, and coffee, rising money to support their wonderful programs throughout the year. In Meletia Hall visitors were inspired by the “Living Nativity” telling the salvation story from scripture that was presented by children from the Academy, and an adorable holiday performance of the “Nutcracker” by the Bay Ridge Ballet. Children also had the opportunity to visit with Santa in his workshop or on his sleigh and buy small toys. As children and parents left on Sunday evening, they exited out into an evening with the first snowfall of the coming winter, a hint of another type of winter wonderland!
A heartfelt thanks to the Committee: Jeanine Condon, Michele Soto, Barbara Thomas, Seamus Lavin, Katie Dean, and Eileen White, and to the many parents of Saint Anselm Catholic Academy who gave uncountable hours, to the numerous volunteers, and the many generous parishioners for making Winter Wonderland possible. Proceeds from the weekend will assist in funding the wonderful educational programs offered by Saint Anselm Catholic Academy. For more information, go to www.sacany.org.
All the best,
The Saint Anselm Publicity Committee