Capturing the Christmas Spirit at Bellaire’s Project Santa

All year long, children around the globe fight their mischievous urges with the hopes of being on the coveted ‘nice list’ when the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve. That same struggle is intensified for young patients being treated at hospitals, a circumstance worse than getting a sack of coal under the Christmas tree.

So, on the early Saturday morning of December 9th, Bellaire’s cardinals teamed up with Texas Children’s Pediatrics to get one boot ahead of Old Saint Nick with their annual Project Santa, a festival with games and gifts. Over fifty clubs set up activity booths, and one hundred presents stacked high on Bellaire’s main street, each waiting for the small hands of their recipients to unravel its festive delights.

Seniors (from left) Lucy Vestal and Cassandra Darmodjo instruct the sugar-enthralled kids as they create their own Christmas treats (Photo: Karis Chen).

The cafeteria transformed into a playground for the young patients, as vibrant wreaths dotted the windows and the smell of fresh gingerbread permeated the air. Participating organizations ranged from STEM clubs such as the Robotics or Medical Club to more creative communities like the Crochet-Knitting Club and Red Bird Animation Studios.

Sophomore Simone Goffney described her time hosting the Art Car Club booth. “We just did cookie decorating. It was a little bit last minute, but we just decided that between doing snowglobes and cookies, cookies were going to be the easier one,” Goffney said. “I think the highlight was watching people walk up to the booths. It was a great feeling having that experience of helping a kid have fun and eat cookies.”

This sentiment was shared by sophomore Evelina Chen, who supported Bellaire’s Chinese Club at the carnival. “We did a little Origami station for little kids. We had a lot of different things. I was assigned to make the cat, but we also had dogs, cranes, and bunnies. The event was actually a lot more entertaining than I thought it was going to be.” Chen said. 

Sophomore Simone Goffney reaches for the rainbow sprinkles as the young bakers frost their cookies at the art car club booth (Photo: Karis Chen).

Just as the festival began to wind down, the holiday fever continued with the greatest motivator for any youngster: pizza. Hundreds of slices ensured the children were getting their presents with a full heart and a full stomach. Bellaire’s eMotion dance company and Choir gave stunning performances and created lasting memories for the families who attended. People of all ages waddled, stumbled, and danced, providing a much-needed break away from the stoic walls and luminescent atmosphere of the clinic. 

NHS volunteers (from left) Owen Cheng, Dylan Wang, and Nikhil Kodali stand ready to dish out more slices of pizza to hungry children and other festival-goers (Photo: Luke Wang).

All of this wouldn’t have happened without volunteers like junior Rustin Golshan. “I was in the Outreach branch for the Student Council, so I helped with getting the pizzas and giving them out to the families and club members during Project Santa,” Golshan said. “The most memorable part was when the Choir started singing Christmas carols. I was just handing out pizza, and out of nowhere I heard this beautiful chorus.” 

A birds’ eye view of Bellaire’s eMotion dancers breaking it down while being cheered on by students and children (Photo: Luke Wang).

Project Santa served as a reminder that no matter your situation, background, or interests, it is always joyful to give back to the community, and spread some yuletide cheer while you do it. 

Posing for a jolly good picture, this Santa troupe proudly displays a variety of Christmas characters to make sure guests receive not only gifts, but also smiles (Photo: Karis Chen).