Theodore Coy’s eyes lit up as he got to sit next to Santa for the first time.
He sat right by his side, filled with excitement. He showed Santa his green Play-Doh and even offered it to him to hold too. He clappped and jumped with excitement, and he smiled for photos with his baby sister, Penelope.
Theodore had never met Santa before because he wasn’t able wait in long lines very well, along with the sensory overload of being in a crowded mall with people, music, lights and other noises.
But with the help of the Greenwood Park Mall, children of all abilities, such as Theodore, have the opportunity to meet Santa in a quiet, sensory-friendly setting. His mom, Katelin Coy, just heard about the mall’s Caring Santa event this year, and was excited to take her son to finally meet St. Nick.
“He talked to Santa a lot. We were in tears. We’re so happy. It’s such a great experience,” Katelin Coy said.
She had never heard of the event before, and was excited to learn it’s available every year.
“It’s amazing. It’s really inclusive, and that’s what special needs families really do need, you know, opportunities so we can do things than other children can,” she said.
Children had the opportunity to meet Santa in the early hours of the morning Sunday, before the mall opened. The lights were dimmed, the usual Christmas music was off, and the typical hustle and bustle of people shopping was absent. Even the bubbling water fountain on that end of the mall laid still during the Santa meet and greets.
Families made appointments ahead of time, to avoid the usual long Santa lines. If there was another family ahead of them, children could color pictures or write wish lists for Santa to put in his mailbox.
In this environment, children get to have more personal interactions with Santa, who also accommodates each need.
For many families, this is a regular tradition for them now, and the only way some of their children can meet Santa. Faith and Tyler Brummett have been bringing their children, Jace and Lillie, to Caring Santa for four years. Jace, now 7 years old, is on the autism spectrum, so meeting Santa in the typical mall environment doesn’t work for him, Faith Brummett said.
“We couldn’t get pictures with Santa if it wasn’t for this. The first year I cried,” she said.
This was the second visit with Santa for Alexis and Josh Skirvin, and their three children. Their middle son, Xandar, is currently going through diagnoses for suspected autism, Alexis Skirvin said.
“It’s really special for him that he can come in, and it’s so quiet because if it was normal mall hours, he’d be way overstimulated,” she said.
Xandar loved meeting Santa at this event, so much so he was upset when he had to leave while talking to Santa.
“Surprisingly, you’d think he’d be afraid of him, but he just wants to sit up there and talk to him,” Alexis Skirvin said.
Sarah Kaminski and her three children are also regulars. Her family has been meeting Caring Santa since her oldest son, JT, was three.
“This is absolutely the only way we have ever gotten to meet Santa,” she said. “We were actually just talking to Santa and telling him how meaningful it was that we’re able to do this every year.”
Her whole family at one point squeezed into the seat with Santa, taking family photos with him, chatting and laughing. Sarah Kaminski said Santa was “awesome” at interacting with all the children, no matter their needs.
“Meeting Santa and having Santa photos is such a quintessential part of being a kid,” Sarah Kaminski said. “There are a lot of things we may not get to do throughout their childhoods, but this one of the things that we get to mark off our list, and it’s really special.”
