SPRINGFIELD -- Children with special needs got a special visit with Santa Sunday night.
Dozens of families came out for the Caring Santa event at the Upper Valley Mall. Workers turned off the music, stopped escalators near Santa, dimmed the lights, and turned off fountains to make sensitive children feel at ease while they got a picture with jolly ol' Saint Nick!
"A lot of times kids with disabilities have a hard time coming in and being with Santa," said Carla Miller, director of Marketing & Business Development. "This is just a special time that their families, for the first time even, are able to do that."
This was the second year for the Caring Santa program. It is the first held at the Upper Valley Mall.
Dozens of families came out for the Caring Santa event at the Upper Valley Mall. Workers turned off the music, stopped escalators near Santa, dimmed the lights, and turned off fountains to make sensitive children feel at ease while they got a picture with jolly ol' Saint Nick!
"A lot of times kids with disabilities have a hard time coming in and being with Santa," said Carla Miller, director of Marketing & Business Development. "This is just a special time that their families, for the first time even, are able to do that."
This was the second year for the Caring Santa program. It is the first held at the Upper Valley Mall.
