By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Sunday, December 10th, the Westwood Young Women’s Club (WYWC) hosted a festive event at the gazebo just outside the Westwood Council on Aging. Despite the threat of rain, the weather held off, providing a perfect opportunity for families and their little ones to capture holiday photos.
The WYWC was fortunate to experience an unusually warm December day, drawing crowds of families and friends adorned in their most festive Christmas attire. Throughout the morning, WYWC members stationed around the gazebo assisted with photos and managed the crowds.
Upon check-in, attendees were treated to candy canes and muffins courtesy of the Muffin House Cafe. Adjacent to the check-in booth, Daisy Troop 84324 offered a selection of Girl Scout cookies, including Thin Mints, Caramel Delights, Peanut Butter Patties, and more.
Following the enjoyment of sweet treats, families had the opportunity to take photos with both Santa Claus and Elsa. Although some little ones initially hesitated, many quickly warmed up to the festive characters. During interactions with Elsa and Santa, each took the time to inquire about the children's Christmas wishes. Notably, one young girl expressed her desire for an Olaf toy, to which Santa warmly replied, “I’ll make you deal. If you leave out some cookies and milk for me, I think I can make that happen for you!” The little girl’s face lit up with joy as she promised Santa that she would indeed leave some yummy cookies out for him.
One of the morning's most endearing moments featured young children dressed as Elsa, enthusiastically posing for photographs with her. This not only brought joy to the girls but also delighted Elsa as she connected with her fans. As Elsa met each girl for a photo, she affectionately referred to them all as princesses, eliciting radiant smiles from ear to ear.
In conversations with WYWC members Ellie Evans and Jessie Bernstein, they shared that they have been organizing such events for over five years. "We love to do this every year," Bernstein stated, before continuing to say, “the kids just absolutely love it. We recently added Elsa as of last year just to make it more inclusive for families who may not celebrate Christmas. We’ve been doing this event as a whole for a couple of years but it was a little different during Covid. Instead of coming to get a picture with Santa, he went around to the different neighborhoods and waved from outside the houses. We were completely sold out this year which is amazing and we are so glad to have it back to normal.”
Upon departing from the event, parents expressed delight with the photos capturing their children alongside Elsa and Santa. The young ones were ecstatic to have had the opportunity to express their Christmas wishes to Santa.
