ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The children chanted "Santa" as Mayor Tuerk, in a holly jolly red velvet costume, made his way down the checkered hallway of Roosevelt Elementary School.
- A Christmas parade came to Roosevelt Elementary School Friday, Dec. 16
- 1,250 students and families took part in the event, getting books, candy and gifts
- Lehigh Valley IronPigs mascots Ferrous & FeFe and Lehigh Valley Phantoms mascot Melvin, as well as Disney characters played by Muhlenberg College students, were also there
It's part of an annual tradition that started three years ago, sparked by a partnership between Capital BlueCross, the Lehigh Valley Labor Council and TeenWorks of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, that gives one of the poorest schools in Lehigh Valley a Christmas.
"When you talk to that kid in Spanish for the first time, and they can't believe Santa's speaking in Spanish," said Mayor Tuerk. "That's really cool."
Dressed as Santa, he led a Christmas parade on Friday, Dec 16., with characters from Magical Memories at Muhlenberg College, FeRROUS and FeFe of the IronPigs, Cops-N-Kids, the Allentown Police Department and the Allentown Fire Department.
The effort starts in October, and involves getting donations, rallying volunteers, coordinating with police and fire departments, purchasing toys and "getting everybody together for this day of love," said John Werkheiser, labor liaison for United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
"Today's event in a word, it was magical," said Laura McHugh, vice president of Marketing and Communications at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
"It's always amazing when you see a community of people come together to make the holidays a little more special and a little more brighter for families and students."
Ultimately, they were able to give holiday gifts to 1,250 students and their families.
"This is an opportunity for us to show kids in Allentown that we care about them, and that we love them," said Mayor Tuerk.
"This is just indescribable, seeing the emotions on these kids, the smiles," said Greg Potter, a senior labor relations consultant at Capital BlueCross. "It's the right thing to do."
The median income for Roosevelt and Sheridan Elementary School, the other school participating in the program, is $43,100.
"These folks are just trying to get by. A Christmas present is a big deal, and for many of these kids is the only thing additional they get through the year," said Potter.
The model speaks to the collaborative nature of the Christmas parade, but also the culture of the school.
"Overall, I think this community is a little more cohesive than a lot of communities," said Catherine Denzel, a clinical school-based therapist who works at Roosevelt Elementary. "We just have a lot of support systems."
Elizabeth Serrano, the school's principal said, "We call Roosevelt 'Teddy Town,' because we're a community.
"The teachers, the paraprofessionals, cafeteria staff and custodians, everybody comes together to make sure every child has a smile on their face, every day."
However, there may be one Christmas miracle yet to happen. "The kids ... have asked me to dance the Gritty, which I cannot do," said Mayor Tuerk.