Santa comes to breakfast Saturday

MOSES LAKE - Santa will take time from his busy pre-Christmas schedule to have breakfast with kids from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church CCD Center, 200 North Dale Rd. Admission is free.

Santa's visit is sponsored by the Moses Lake chapter of the Salvation Army. "It's our way of saying thank you to the community," Director Ken Palek said. "It's become a tradition."

The menu includes pancakes, sausage and a beverage. "Bring your appetite," Palek said. Kids can have their pictures taken with Santa, and each child will receive a coloring book with crayons, he said. (The rule is one set of book and crayons per child, Palek said.)

The Salvation Army toy distribution is scheduled for this week, with clients making appointments for toy pickup through Thursday, Palek said. Along with toys, the Army has some clothes, quilts and other linens available, he said. All of that will be available to parents.

"What we have, we distribute it," he said. "We do everything we can to make sure everybody gets something." In Moses Lake, Palek said about 100 families have signed up for help through the Army.

The Army also works with groups in Quincy and George, Royal City and Warden, Palek said.

The idea is that every kid has something for Christmas, he said. "It's a present from the parents. We're just the intermediary," he said.

"It's been a good response" to the toy drive, Palek said. Salvation Army volunteers also collect money throughout the Christmas season with the red kettles. On that front the news is not so good. Donations "have been down quite a bit this year," he said.