NATCHEZ — Santa showed up in Natchez a little early on Christmas Eve this year, with a little help from his friends.

The auditorium at Braden School was full of children and their parents Thursday morning as the crowd waited for Santa to arrive and oversee the distribution of the gifts from the Children’s Christmas Tree Fund.

The committee escorted Santa around town in the annual Santa Claus Parade Thursday, stopping along the way to help distribute the gifts.

The Children’s Christmas Tree Fund collects money used to purchase the presents distributed by the Natchez Santa Claus Committee to children in need in the Natchez area. The list of children is compiled by Catholic Charities.

Started sometime between 1900 and 1906 by The Natchez Democrat’s publisher, James Lambert, the fund was originally known as the Poor Children’s Christmas Tree.

Lambert’s great-great granddaughter, Caroline Nobile, coordinated this year’s event as she has for the last several years.

Nobile said the family tradition began in the early 20th century lives on in the family’s work in the charity.

“What makes this event so great is all these children getting to have a Christmas when they otherwise would not,” Nobile said.

It was originally an independent effort, but joined up with the Santa Claus Committee — local businessmen who also raise money for the project and select a representative to become Santa’s primary helper at the gift distribution.

The gift bags that are distributed cost between $25 and $30 to make.

Nobile said the program could not exist without funds from private and individual donations.

The children were called up by name in age and gender groups — ladies first, youngest to oldest — to receive the bags full of treats, toys, and Christmas surprises.

Zakoya Townsend, 7, and her brother Antonio, 8, received two of those bags.

“Ooh, sidewalk chalk,” Zakoya said, digging through her Christmas bag. “I can play tic-tac-toe outside with this.”

Antonio retrieved his bag from the stage, hugged Santa, and came back to admire his new model airplane, showing his 5-year-old relative, Rodney Washington.

“I got a monster truck and a Spiderman game,” Rodney said with a smile, showing off his Christmas gifts. “I’m going to drive it!”

The children’s grandmother, Enest Littleton, told them they would have to wait for Friday morning.

“Oh, I know they just can’t wait for Christmas, but they’re going to have to,” Littleton said.

She said her grandchildren would not have been able to receive those presents if not for the Christmas Tree Fund program.

“Thank God for them, it’s a blessing,” Littleton said.

JaCorey Harris, 14, waited patiently to receive his bag of gifts. He said the best part of his holiday was yet to come.

“I’m hoping for a board game, and maybe an outfit,” Harris said. “But I’m most excited to go out of town to my Auntie’s house in Vicksburg, open presents, and eat Christmas dinner together.”