If you didn’t know better, you would think you were at the North Pole visiting Santa Claus and his wife as they greeted guests, danced and handed out goody bags to all the good little boys and girls at the Avenue U IHOP on a wintry Friday night on December 20th.
Dressed in red matching outfits and with a hearty Ho-Ho-Ho! from Santa, the jolly couple invited families to gather around the festive and colorful balloon-decorated setting to take pictures of the holiday magic and make memories to last a lifetime.
The annual tradition began last December at the IHOP located at 2951 Avenue U and was so successful that two dates were arranged for this year, the last one taking place on December 12th.
“They took a liking to our dancing because we’re dancers,” Mike Falco said about his Santa character and that of his partner, Susan Kroll, who played the role of Mrs. Claus. They danced merrily up and down the aisles as they visited guests that evening and had them join in the holiday cheer.
Marine Park resident Jenny Vazquez said that after a long and exhaustive day at work, she just wanted to spend some time with her family and was very pleased to be able to have her three children see Santa and his wife. “They believe fully in Santa,” she said, adding that she gives Santa full credit for all the gifts the children receive on Christmas Day.
“It’s always about the giving,” IHOP ‘s fundraising manager, Danielle Altimirano, said of all the extra effort and funds that went into providing this opportunity for families to gather as a community once again in the spirit of the holiday season.
