×

Sunday with Santa

Blake Lienig sits on Santa's lap during the Sertoma Club's Breakfast with Santa fundraiser for Santa's Closet, at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sunday. Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey

Blake Lienig sits on Santa’s lap during the Sertoma Club’s Breakfast with Santa fundraiser for Santa’s Closet, at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sunday. Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey

NEW ULM — Santa had a busy day Sunday, eating breakfast with the Sertoma Club and ice skating with the New Ulm Parks and Recreation Department.

The Sertoma Club hosted its annual Breakfast with Santa Sunday morning. In the afternoon Santa could be spotted, this time with the New Ulm Steel, ice skating at the Civic Center.

The breakfast is a fundraiser for Santa’s Closet, happening next week. Visitors could pay for a pancake breakfast with sausages and applesauce, knowing the money would go to help people in need.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people in the community, families, to do something fun to help others,” event chairperson Nick Hoxmeier said.

Santa’s Closet is an annual event to help families in need have the Christmas they wish for.

The New Ulm Steel, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman skate in circles around the rink, in what appears to be an ice skating cha-cha line, at the Civic Center Sunday. Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey

“It is an opportunity for families that may be in need at the holidays to get a chance to come in and pick out gifts for their family,” Hoxmeier said. “The funds that are raised at this (breakfast) then go toward the purchasing of toys and different things for families in all of Brown County.”

The event is put on in collaboration with Brown County Family Services.

Skating

Sunday afternoon families could join Santa, the New Ulm Steel and a couple other Christmas characters ice skating.

This year marks the first time the annual event has been hosted by the Parks and Rec Department as part of its Days of Play series.

“Through that, we were able to serve over 2,000 people as part of these events,” Recreation Supervisor Joey Schugel said.

The Days of Play series consists of four large events throughout the year. For 2016 those were Winter Blast, August Day of Play, a teen party in autumn and Skate with Santa.

The Days of Play has also injected new energy and resources into a few activities the Parks and Rec Department has been hosting for years.

“We are trying to get people to come together and out in the community for a good cause and to be healthy,” Schugel said.

The department took over Days of Play after the first Day of Play proved to be a success. This year was the first time the department hosted a full season of events.

It intends to continue the series next year. New Ulm citizens can expect to see the first event announced in early 2017, Schugel said.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today