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Santa delivers during Bethel Park tree lighting event

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Elijah Brown shares his Christmas Wish List with Santa during Bethel Park’s annual tree lighting event held Nov. 30 at the community center.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Rebekah Shanaberger helps her daughter, Reagan, deposit her letter to Santa in a mailbox that will make a direct delivery to the North Pole.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Riley O’Hanlon adds chocolate chips to her hot chocolate during the annual Bethel Park Light-up Night event.

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The Foote family address letters to Santa. Justin helps his son Luca while Anne helps her daughter Harper compose their missives.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Oliver Marraccini enjoys a candy cane while he waits to talk to Santa.

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By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Santa Claus makes his grand entrance at Bethel Park’s Light-up Night. The annual event ushers in the holiday season in the municipality.

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With wonder and joy children join Santa Claus in a sing-a-long during Bethel Park’s annual tree-lighting event.

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Eleanor Bailey/ The Almanac

Joshua Von Bloch looks at the gingerbread houses on display at the Bethel Park Community Center. Joshua was there to attend the annual tree lighting event and to discuss his Christmas list. Joshua asked Santa for Legos, Hot Wheels and a Monster truck.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Marissa Swanson helps her son, Nate, make a special treat for Santa’s reindeer. The food will give the team enough energy to pull a sleigh full of toys throughout the world on Christmas Eve night.

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Gemma Arnold, 3, shares her Christmas list with Santa.

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Independent Middle School students Neviska Ratnayak and Victoria Carberry volunteered at the photo booth during Bethel Park Light-up Night festivities.

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Caitlin and Camryn Foote scoop up oats and other edible ingredients that will give Santa’s reindeer energy to pull his sleigh during their worldwide journey on Christmas Eve.

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Bethel Park High School jazz ensemble members entertain the crowd during the annual tree-lighting event held at the community center.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

The Bethel Park High School’s Top 21 singers pose for a group photo with Santa Claus during festivities as the annual tree lighting event.

Jack Allen waited a lifetime for his Christmas wish to come true but Santa Claus did deliver.

“Remember when you were little and sat on my lap?” Santa asked Allen. “You asked to be mayor and look at you know,” the jolly old elf said.

Since 2014, Allen has served Bethel Park in that capacity and he performed one of his favorite duties when he welcomed Father Christmas during the municipality’s annual tree lighting event on Nov. 30 at the community center.

“I love this event,” Allen said. “It’s amazing also to see such a turnout. This is the largest crowd I have seen at this event yet.”

While Kris Kringle was the main event, there was something for everyone – a cookie table, photo booth, reindeer food-making area, a mailbox to deposit letters to Santa.

Riley O’Hanlon and her brother, Silas, enjoyed the hot chocolate bar. “It’s delicious,” she said. “I love chocolate and enjoy the music.”

The Bethel Park High School jazz ensemble serenaded the crowd with Christmas music as they awaited Mayor Allen’s arrival to the dais. The BPHS Top 21 singers also performed and once Santa made his entrance, they joined him in a sing-a-long.

“We’ve always had the IMS (Independence Middle School) singers, but this year the Top 21 is here and what a treat,” said Allen. “A lot of them had been in the IMS choir. The stage is not new for them, but they are new for us and they are all grown up.”

Most of the youngsters in attendance will not have to wait until adulthood for Santa to fulfill their childhood wishes.

For example, Joshua Von Bloch asked for Legos, Hot Wheels and a Monster Truck. Harper Culotta wants a smartwatch and a What The Fluff toy. Dominic Flinn hopes for a Kirby T-shirt and some Nintendo video games.

Then there is Silas O’Hanlon. “He wants everything,” said his mother, Kelsie. “He has a whole list.”

Rebekah Shanaberger helped her daughter, Reagan, craft her Christmas list and deposit into the Letters To Santa mailboxes. At a year and a half, she was going to try to sit on Santa’s lap.

“She likes to give high-fives more,” said Shanaberger. “It’s the first time we’ve been to this event, and it’s exciting. She’s at the age where she is excited about everything. So it’s fun to see that through her eyes.”

Emily Skoczlas also experienced her inaugural tree lighting event. As community center director, she organized the event.

“It went really well,” Skoczlas said. “I’m extremely excited to have so many people here and so many families and kids enjoying all the activities. I also appreciated the jazz ensemble playing as well as the Top 21 to sing. That added an extra treat for us.”

Besides Santa, Skoczlas said the most popular area was the reindeer food-making station. “It seems like it’s the go-to place,” she said. The Letters To Santa was a close second. “It’s was pretty popular,” she added. “We had a lot of letters going into our mailboxes over here and headed to the North Pole.”

After putting on such an event, Skoczlas, like Santa after his worldwide, single-night journey, was ready for a long, winter’s nap. Yet, the effort was all worthwhile.

“Overall, it’s an amazing event,” she said. “It was awesome to plan and rewarding to see everybody smiling and all the kids having a good time.”

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