- November 18, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Jonvieve Washington, Jada Snipes and Azuzena Penaloza read “The Carol of the Brown King.”
Malik Taylor reads during the service of Christ Church’s Reading Buddies holiday party.
Cristeona Barton reads during the service of Christ Church’s Reading Buddies holiday party.
Third graders of 13th Avenue Dream Center of Bradenton sing “Away in a Manger.”
First graders of 13th Avenue Dream Center of Bradenton blow out candles on the birthday cake for Jesus.
Students hold up signs with the lyrics to “Jingle Bells” during a short sing-a-long.
Mrs. Claus and Santa Claus made a special appearance at the party.
Trinity Houston smiles as she gets a gift from Santa Claus.
Santa Claus gives Briana Caranza a gift during Christ Church’s Reading Buddies holiday party.
Erik Brooks accepts his gift from Santa Claus during Christ Church’s Reading Buddies holiday party.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus surprised the students of 13th Avenue Dream Center by donating books to the school.
Jean Steiger and Mariah Coleman
Wallace Johnson, 3, and Santa Claus
Joan Pritchard, Jada Drake and Janiyah Evans
Roger Brown and Jamari Anderson
13th Ave. Dream Center director John Carnegie and event director Beverly Sutton
Ger’Rye Cooper and Jayla Barnes
Markis Hayes and Susie Nesbitt
Students of 13th Avenue Dream Center of Bradenton got a sweet surprise on Dec. 15.
At Christ Church, Presbyterian’s annual holiday party for its reading buddies, Santa and Mrs. Claus made a special appearance and brought presents with them. About 60 reading buddies, who are students at the dream center of United Community Centers, got a gift bag full of small toys and a gift card. Reading buddies are students between kindergarten and third grade who are matched with Christ Church members. The church members help them learn to read and serve as a mentor to the students throughout the year.
The Reading Buddies program’s main goal might be to help students learn to read, but for the center’s program director John Carnegie, it has another purpose too.
“This program, what it means, is to build dreams and change lives,” Carnegie said.
Along with the gift bags, Santa Claus brought three stacks of books to be donated to the dream center.
“The sound the children made when they saw Santa’s books, you can’t beat that,” event coordinator Beverly Sutton said.
Before Santa arrived, the students and Christ Church members held a short service in the church’s sanctuary. Students took turns reading and performing Christmas songs. At the end of the service, they sang “Happy Birthday” and blew out candles on a cake for Jesus.
