The excitement was palpable as a merry band played Santa into the store. Preceded by his helpers, Tinsel and Holly, and followed by several excited local Make-a-Wish families, Santa commanded the crowd. He entered in grand North Pole fashion, wearing rich velvet robes and that trademark twinkle in his eye.
The group had just returned from a very special screening of Yes, Virginia, at the Providence Place Mall Cinemas.
Santa and his esteemed guests were in the house!
He settled right in as the children sat before him, wide-eyed, some with painted faces, others holding balloon shapes roving entertainers had recently created. As he chatted away, he made sure to tell the children to remind all their friends that he was, in fact, very real.
They discussed this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and that Make-a-Wish America grants very special wishes to very special families. He encouraged the children to place their letters in the Macy’s Believe Santa Mail box, as each letter, up to one million, would give one dollar to help Make-a-Wish America continue its very special mission.
He then sat down with his assistants for a story, delivering the crowd a very special reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
After the story was through, he introduced the crowd to Virginia, a little girl who wasn’t quite sure that Santa existed, thus wrote a letter that ultimately helped her understand the magic of Christmas. Virginia was, as the crowd today, assured that Santa’s existence is as real as beauty and joy.
Next it was all fun! Make-a-Wish families and guests were invited to take pictures with Santa and Virginia, have their faces painted, and receive treats and cookies from all of Santa’s helpers.
Overall, a wonderful time was had by all – including myself, my colleagues, and Macy’s staff – during which time many children proudly sent their letters to Santa.
Moments were sweet…
Moments were funny…
And excited staff joined right in the merriment!
She even had a cookie afterward!
I was even lucky enough to meet the Big Man myself!
I couldn’t have thought of a better celebration, at a better place or time, for a more deserving group of families. For a few short moments, there was truly magic at Macy’s.
To learn more about Virginia, Make-a-Wish, or National Believe Day (December 16!), create a letter for Santa, or check the count of letters received (currently over 542,000!) please visit Macy’s Believe. It’s interactive and really adorable. You can even download the Believe-o-Magic app, which places you right into the action!
And, of course, please, please don’t forget to drop off your letters to Santa at Macy’s! They’ll go straight to the North Pole!
Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about Macy’s Believe Campaign. However, all thoughts, photos, and opinions expressed herein are my own.
