On Saturday, December 12, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club hosted a drive-through Winter Wonderland for local families. The Winter Wonderland, set outside of the Club’s headquarters, featured festive-themed tents, holiday gifts for children and teens, and a special visit by Santa and his entourage.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event was converted to a drive-through event, offering families a COVID-friendly holiday experience. Despite the new format, Club Executive Director Erica Young said many people volunteered their time and resources to ensure this staple holiday event remained as special as in previous years for Club youth and their families.
“The staff at the Club continue to demonstrate creativity as we adapt our programming to serve youth under challenging circumstances. They came up with the drive-through idea and we had so many people jump on board to make the Winter Wonderland possible. I think many people in our community enjoy donating just as much as the kids enjoy receiving gifts.” said Young.
Local businesses, organizations and community members, including bTone Fitness Waltham, Buyer’s Edge, Group 1001, Rocket Software, Seven Mile Church, Treacy & Company, Ariel, Weston High School Class of 2021, National Grid, and the Worcester Mom’s Group hosted drives for the drive-up toy exchange and supplied items for the food and winter preparedness bags, such as gift cards, winter gear, and holiday treats. More than 60 families drove through the event, waving to Santa and enjoying holiday decorations and holiday music.
Young adds the Winter Wonderland, which was a free event, was important to the community and staff alike because it provides people with holiday cheer during a difficult time. “This event has been a labor of love for our team. Our Breakfast with Santa event has been a community tradition for many years and we felt compelled to do something in its place that would provide some holiday cheer. This is a fun way to distribute food, winter necessities, and of course, toys.”
To watch a video recap from this year’s drive-through Winter Wonderland event, click here.
For more information about the Waltham Boys & Girls Club or how you can support the organization this holiday season, visit www.walthambgc.org.