This article was originally published in The Examiner on Nov. 23, 2017.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
Central Mall hosted their second annual Wake Up Santa event on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The night before, the mall hosted a VIP meet and greet. Several kids out of 600 total who entered won an opportunity to meet Santa beforehand, Central Mall’s senior marketing manager Jodie Galloway said.
“It’s such a fun event, because the kids really get to participate and be a part of the Santa arrival,” she said.
The kids gathered at 11 a.m. around Santa, asleep in the bed and yelled “Wake up, Santa!”
Every year, Santa wakes up, stretches, and dons his furry coat for photos with the families gathered.
Galloway said that she thinks holiday cheer like this is needed after Harvey.
“This brings some normalcy back,” she said. “Everyone knows it’s tradition to come to Central Mall and see Santa. This is a great way for kids to feel like everything is going to be OK and back to normal.”
Santa will be at Central Mall right up until Christmas Eve. Parents aren’t required to purchase a photo package for their kids to pay a visit.
“If the kids just want to come and sit on his lap and say hi and maybe tell him what they want for Christmas, they’re more than welcome to come,” Galloway said.
Galloway’s children gathered around her, eagerly listing off their Christmas wishes.
“I want a mermaid’s tail!” said Bailey Galloway, age 4. Her twin, Asher, wants dinosaurs, specifically a raptor, and their older sister Taylor, 7, is hoping for a JoJo doll.
Eleanor Skelton 