The Santa Claus Committee was started in Natchez in the year 1928.

It began in the office of then Chancery Clerk Walter Abbott with a small group of businessmen getting together and being concerned that all of the children in the area would not have a Merry Christmas.

This year the committee celebrates 86 years of work supporting area charities. Each year, a group of 300-plus area individuals pay dues to participate in a Christmas Eve ritual that begins early in the morning and extends into the evening when Santa Claus hosts an evening party.

Stops include the Natchez Children’s Home where committee members share Christmas carols with everyone at the home. Also, the committee stops at Braden School where Santa distributes gifts to children that without the committee might not have Christmas.

This year, the Santa Committee will donate more than $12,000 to local charities. Everyone is able to have a little fun as the parade travels through Natchez distributing candy to the area children.

However, there is a serious side of the committee and it does what it can to help all children of the area as founders would have wanted.

Some of the local and other charities that the committee will help this year are:

-Catholic Charities

-Pleasant Acre Day School

-Guardian Shelter

-Natchez Children’s Home

-Shop A Cop

-Natchez-Adams County Humane Society Building Fund

-Natchez Stewpot

-Natchez Children’s Christmas Tree Fund

We plan to have the parade route in The Natchez Democrat on Tuesday so everyone can see where will be riding with Santa on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

Join with us to say thank you to this year’s Santa, Pat Biglane.

 

Tony Byrne is vice chairman of the Santa Claus Committee.