No Virginia, In County Parks there is no Santa Claus

By Bruce Piel

Breaking a Holiday Tradition of over 20 years, The Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums has cancelled the annual Santa in the Park events at all local county parks. There will be a token appearance at the Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park but no Santa will visit Cantiague, Roosevelt Centennial, Wantagh, Grant or Christopher Morely Parks in 2002.

Since the County Parks with the assistance of local fire departments, banks and volunteers have set aside a Saturday in early December for the community children to visit with Santa Claus at their local parks. Depending on weather, up to 200- 300 children with their parents and grandparents would come to their local park and eagerly await the arrival of Father Christmas. Volunteers, such as the boaters in Wantagh Park, would assist park personnel in decorating and setting up the reception area and help maintain and expedite the lines of children waiting for old St. Nick. It was a special day for everyone.

Off in the distance you would hear the sirens & klaxons of the fire engine from the local department approaching. The eyes of the children would widen with glee and anticipation as the flashing lights of the brightly colored truck came into view with Santa aboard waving to all. Parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors and volunteers found the children’s enthusiasm infectious and soon everyone was broadly smiling, waving and calling out to the Jolly Old Elf. He would alight from the truck and pass along the line of awed children, calling out Merry Christmas and laughing.

Santa entered the reception area and sat down to put each child in his lap, ask them what they wanted for Christmas and promise them that if they were good he would bring them something special. His helpers (community volunteers) would pass out sample size candy canes & cookies, donated by Nassau banks, to each child and take photographs with the parents cameras on request.

In many families the first “Santa” photos were from these visits in county parks. The “Santa in the Park” days engendered a sense of community in all that attended. Small children, who might be apprehensive of the man in the red suit, were reassured by the presence of their neighborhood playmates. Most children were delighted with this special visit with Santa. Parents, grandparents and other onlookers were delighted in turn watching the bright, smiling faces of the little ones.

Not this year, though. The Parks administration was unwilling to invest in 2 or 3 employee volunteers to dress up and visit a couple of parks each. Too expensive, they felt. Nor were they willing to solicit Nassau community banks for candy & cookies for the children. Unproductive, they said. So a 20-year community service tradition comes to an ignominious end. The county park system has turned its back on the children of Nassau during this Holiday Season. How sad!

So Virginia, we are sure the spirit of Christmas abounds all around us, in your family, in your community and in the hearts of good people everywhere. Just don’t look for it in the Nassau County Parks.

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Bruce Piel is the Chairman of the Park Advocacy & Recreation Council of Nassau (PARCnassau), a coalition of 120 park advocacy and users groups with a combined membership of over 250,000 Nassau residents.

PARCNassau
246 Twin Lane East
Wantagh, NY 11793-1963
(516) 783-8378
PARCnassau@aol.com