Los Regalos de Navidad for Marco Lake Families

On December 17th, Christmas has come (Ha llego Navidad) to the children on Marco Lake, and once again they enjoyed a surprise visit from Santa. A record 155+ children waited in line to get their gifts and have their photos taken with Santa, and a lucky group of children also took home new bikes and helmets for the New Year! They had gifts for the family, including the babies,and also for mom and dad!   

A big thanks to the generosity of organizers and donors from AL’s Pals partnering with the Marco Island Police Department and Chief Tracy Frazzano. Also, aloud shout out to all community donors such as CAMI, Sunshine Sisters, Christmas Island Style, residents from the pickleball group, Calusa Garden Club, just to name a few,and to all the volunteers who came out to make this event happen. 

Back for the second year from the Naples Therapeutic Riding Center were Raisin and Itty Bitty miniature horses – a big favorite for everybody! The children enjoyed giving them scratches behind the ear and it is not surprising that for many of the children and even the adults, this is their first encounter with a miniature horse. In keeping with the mission of the Center, to improve the lives of children and adults through physical interaction, this afternoon’s encounter was a huge success, putting a smile on everyone's face. 

Christmas Carols (Villancicos) played loudly and often during Santa’s last stop to deliver toys and goodies to the families and children at Marco Lake. Santa Claus(or Father Noel or San Nicolas or Santi Clo) and his elves had been very busy at work making sure all the boys and girls got something special from their Christmas wish list. And some families will also be waiting for gifts from the Three Wise Men (los Reyes Magos), who will visit the kids on January 6th on their way to pay homage to the baby Jesus. 

The neighborhood was alive to the catchy beat of Feliz Navidad and other Christmas songs in Spanish. “El Tamborilero” is The Little Drummer Boy, and it will help if you kinda roll the r’s when you sing “Rum-pa-pum-pum.” The Spanish version of Silent Night (Noche de Paz) was another recognizable melody, easy to sing or hum along, even if you are not familiar with the Spanish words. Blanca Navidad (White Christmas) is another favorite, and for the children and parents from the neighborhood, it wasjust another tropical Marco afternoon with temperatures in the mid-80sandno thoughts at all about something called aWhite Christmas. 

The Christmas tradition with the children on Marco Lake is so much more special than just the “regallos de Navidad” (Christmas gifts) they received. No matter what part of Latin America the families came from, bringing a fun “Navidad” to the children and seeing the joy in their eyes made this afternoon extra special for everybody. The Marco Lake Santa visit highlighted the importance of sharing the joys of Christmas and how songs and gifts bring everyone together!The children’s expressions said it all, “Me hacemuyfeliz,” (You made me very happy)!  

¡Feliz Navidad y PrósperoAño Nuevo!