Children who were good this year had two opportunities to see Santa and Mrs. Claus in Miami Lakes.
The couple, dressed in their finest red suits, appeared Dec. 19 at a Secret Santa Drive-thru hosted by charity Giving Gators at the campus of Ana G. Méndez University.
Volunteers at five stops handed out goodies for families previously chosen by the organization. There was also a classic car display, with the autos bedecked with holiday lights.
Children received stockings filled with candy; coloring books; crayons; pencils; holiday bracelets; rings that light up; gift cards; bags of nonperishable food; hot chocolate; cookies and more.
Sponsors of the drive-thru which also included Santa’s Workshop, were: Ana G. Méndez University; Family Dentistry & Orthodontics of Miami Lakes; Fantasy Designers; Gold Financial Services; Headquarter Toyota; Julio Garcia auxiliarist with the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Auxiliary; Jumpin Jack Productions, Marcos Gutierrez and Karol Gutierrez; MOP Foreign Cars Division Inc.; South Florida Realty, LLC; Specialty Smiles Miami Lakes Orthodontics; Sunshine Quality Painting, LLC; The Graham Companies and Ventura Realty Group, LLC.
Daylin Garcia of Giving Gators also thanks donors and volunteers including, Denis Brenes, Suhem Nazal, Hector Abad, Mario Pinera, Rey Garcia, Emily Garcia, Alex Enriquez, the staff at Ana G. Méndez University, Barbara Goleman Senior High School students and staff and Cohea Key Club members.
The next day, Santa and Mrs. Claus, aka Councilman Tony Fernandez and his wife, Pilar Fernandez, were again the star attractions, in the Winterfest Parade hosted by the Town of Miami Lakes and its Youth Activities Task Force.
Santa and Mrs. Claus rode in the bed of a red pickup and waved to kids who lined sidewalks to see them. Sponsors included BLACC Boutique; the Law Office of Gloria M. Garcia, P.A.; Headquarter Toyota; Fla. Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah Gardens and Specialty Smiles Miami Lakes Orthodontics.
Left photo by Jessica Ferralls, Town of Miami Lakes. Right photo, with left to right Mayor Manny Cid, Councilman Tony Fernandez and Pilar Fernandez and Daylin Garcia of Giving Gators, courtesy of Giving Gators.