No kidding around with Santa

June Casagrande

Everyone knows that Santa rewards all the good girls and boys, but it

may be less-commonly known that Santa doesn’t believe in age

discrimination.

Just ask any of the dozens of 70- and 80-year-olds who had a seat on

his lap Monday at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

“They’ve all been very good this year,” Santa said, punctuating the

sentence with a “Ho, ho, ho.”

About 110 seniors had reservations to take part in a breakfast with

Santa. As they waited for their French toast and sausage, the big kids

lined up to get their photo taken with Santa and to squeeze in a little

last-minute lobbying.

“I’m getting a lot of requests for Barbie dolls from this crowd -- ho,

ho,” Santa said.

Toward the front of the line were Mary Warwick and Thelma Johnson.

“I asked Santa for the usual stuff, you know, good health, peace on

earth,” Johnson said with a laugh.

The Costa Mesa resident and a member of the center had convinced her

friend Warwick to come along.

“It’s cute to see the adults with Santa,” Warwick said.

Aviva Goelman, executive director of the center, said the breakfast

was a way to offer seniors someplace to go during a time when many of

them might otherwise be alone.

“This can be a very lonely time for seniors who don’t have families,”

Goelman said. “Without this event, the center would have been closed for

a full four-day weekend.”

But any underlying loneliness was, at least for a while, outshined by

smiles and laughs shared among friends.

“It’s fun for me because I’m still young at heart,” said 77-year-old

Siomara Poindexter, who was at the breakfast along with husband Langwood,

91.

Poindexter said she planned to send a copy of her photo with Santa to

her 52-year-old nephew in Miami.

A few people in attendance were young in years too. Three children

from the Tarbut V’Torah academy in Irvine were volunteering at the event,

taking tickets and performing other tasks. The chefs were also

volunteering their time, Goelman said, as were a good many staff members

helping out at the breakfast. Even some of the center’s board members

came in to help set up.

And, as if the meal and St. Nick’s special appearance weren’t enough,

attendees also got gifts -- their choice of a pen knife, a bottle of

sparkling cider or gift soaps.

“For a lot of people who come here every day, we’re their family,”

Goelman said. “So that’s why it’s so important to have events like this.

And they had a great time.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .