Feature
December
8
Thibodaux Service League Welcomes Visitors to Santa’s Land
by Terry Trahan Jr.
The Cotillion Ballroom at Nicholls State University will look more like the North Pole Saturday as parents and their children visit Santa at the winter wonderland brought there by the Thibodaux Service League.
A Visit to Santa’s Land has become a Christmas tradition locally as families get into the holiday spirit with music, crafts, shopping and photos with Santa.
“The kids have come to expect it,” said Sheri Broussard, public relations chair for the Thibodaux Service League. “They look forward to meeting Santa. It’s a magical experience.”
During the two visits, which take place from 8 a.m. until noon and 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m., the children set their creative minds free. In the Elf Room, they get crafty by learning how to make reindeer food. Decorating cookies is also on the to-do list. Meanwhile, the sounds of the season fill the background as children move from station to station.
The snowman walk has become a favorite activity over the years. Similar to cakewalks popular at many festivals, the children follow the rhythm of music and walk from snowman to snowman until the music stops. Each child must then find a snowman to stand by; if none are left, the child without a snowman is out. The game continues until one child is left.
Fake snow also blankets the ballroom. The children play in the white wonderland until they are ready to visit with Santa. Each child receives a professional photo with Santa, and that photo can often be found on the family’s Christmas cards. “The decorations are magnificent—they’re huge!” Broussard said. “There are trees everywhere. It’s beautiful, and the kids get excited.”
While the kids visit with Santa, parents spend their time browsing the selection of gifts offered by seven local retail venues. Little Presh, a baby boutique in Thibodaux, has been participating in A Visit to Santa’s Land for the past three years. The boutique, like the other retailers, donates to the Thibodaux Service League and sets up a booth to provide parents with a convenient shopping spot during the visit.
“We figure there are some people there who haven’t been to our store, so we bring a selection to show them what we have,” said Chris LaFleur, owner of Little Presh.
With 900 tickets sold for the two visits, the Thibodaux Service League gathers the proceeds and distributes the funds to local charities, which include the local chapter of the Red Cross, Reading is Fundamental program in public schools, Crossroads Pregnancy Center, Thibodaux food bank, Thibodaux High senior service projects and juvenile justice programs. Last year, the event raised $7,000 for these causes.
“We’ve sold out every year,” Broussard said. “We don’t keep anything. It all goes back into the community.”
The Thibodaux Service League is an invitation-only club of over 60 women who commit their time to serving their community. The league was established in 1973 to foster fellowship among the women of Thibodaux; through the years, they have remained dedicated to serving and giving back to those in need.
