Donuts with Santa Spartanburg County

By Vicky Venth, Spartanburg County

We had the sweetest celebration with Santa as our first holiday gathering in the post-Covid era. Donuts with Santa at the Woodruff Leisure Center was a big hit!

For five dollars a person, participants came in their pajamas (staff also dressed up in their pajamas) and enjoyed a morning of Christmas fun. Each guest enjoyed a Krispy Kreme donut, as well as a make-your-own hot chocolate bar with all sorts of toppings like mini chocolate chips, crushed peppermint, mini marshmallows and of course whipped cream! We also included gluten free options of all the toppings and gluten free donuts, as we had a few people with gluten allergies and didn’t want them to have to miss out on any fun.

We had 3 stations (each in different rooms within the community center) for guests to move through freely so there was room for everyone to enjoy and not feel crowded or rushed. The gym was packed with carnival style games, some of which we made ourselves to stay on theme with donuts. One station was the craft room where each guest got to make their own ornament to take home. We used clear ornaments which they were able to fill with glitter, pompoms, stickers, and other small Christmas theme items. The last room was the Santa station. The Santa we had loves to sing, so we gave the guests the option to karaoke with him. We had a full photo shoot, so kids (and adults) could take their picture with Santa.

Guests had a chance to win some holiday prizes during the event as well. They could earn a raffle ticket by bringing in a new unwrapped toy that we donated to children in need. It was a great morning filled with lots of smiles, laughs and family fun. n